Lost Identity
by Saturnian Blonde
Summary: When important documents go missing, who's to blame? She did it for a reason, but can she be persuaded to betray her friends? *Two new chapters*
1. Prologue

Lost Identities 

By Saturnian Blonde

Standard Questionably Useful Disclaimer: Marvel owns all rights to characters, names, etc. No profit is being made from use of anything. Yet.

Rating: PG-13

Time/Place : AU. I'm mixing it up a little, taking some elements from the cartoon and other from the movies and comics…. I'll be trying to explain everything, but if you have any questions, just ask. Most of the ages are from X:Evo, meaning that the kids are in school, Jean and Scott are now in college, etc, etc…

Prologue 

Charles Francis Xavier looked up from the paperwork he was going over as the phone rang. He glanced at the clock on the wall, which read that it was way too early for anyone to be up, never mind calling. He picked up the receiver. 

"Xavier's School for the Gifted."

"Charles? Is tha' yeh?"

"Moira?" 

****************

Bobby was the last person to enter the war room for the hastily convened meeting. Picking a seat between Kurt and Rogue, he looked at the other bleary eyed people sitting around the room. Xavier was talking in hushed tones to Beast, who seemed to be looking over some building plans. Remy was across from him, shuffling a deck of cards in his hands, yawning. The rest of the adults were all there, although they seemed to be as unaware of things as Bobby felt. Why on earth Xavier had decided to call an emergency meeting at 4 o'clock in the morning Bobby just couldn't understand.

"I suppose you're wondering why I called you here this early." 

_A-duh. _He thought.

"Moira called me less that an hour ago. Apparently someone broke into her lab and stole some data she had on mutant biogenetics." Remy whistled lowly.

"Good fo' dem. It ain't no walk in de park to crack her computer secur'ty." 

"And how would you know that?" Scott asked, glaring at him. Remy only grinned.

"She asked that we try to recover the data, find out who it was and what they plan to do with that data."

"What exactly is it?" Jean asked. Sipping from a cup of coffee, the only cup in the room, she smiled at the glares of envy from the others. 

"Not something that would normally be that interesting to anyone. Genome sequences, mutant DNA tests. Whoever stole it may be contracting for another party, perhaps another mutant testing facility." Nothing needed to be said; everyone remembered what had happened, and they couldn't let what had happened with Trask _ever_ happen again.

"We need a small team to fly over to Muir Island and see if they can find anything. Wolverine, you see if you can pick up any clues. Remy too, it may be best to see if you can find out how they cracked her codes." Xavier looked to Remy, who only nodded and continued playing with his cards.

"You mean I gotta waste my time with the Cajun? Just shoot me now…" Logan muttered as the meeting was dismissed.

"It could be worse…" Rogue offered, slapping his back with a gloved hand.

"How?" She paused.

"You could… have to go undercover as a girl…" she offered.

"Say that  _ever_ again….." He flexed his fists.

"Right."

****************

Logan sniffed around the lab while Remy sat at the computer, going through countless logs and files.

"Damn, dis guy know what he doin'," Remy commented as he pulled a disk from the drive and inserted another.

"Girl." Logan mumbled.

"Pardon?"

"It wasn't a guy, it was a girl. She smells familiar, too." Remy cocked his head and looked at him, doubtful, but remembered Logan's sensitive senses and let it slide.

"Whoever it was, dey knew what dey be doin'. How long d'Moira say it take?"

"8 minutes."

"Merde…" Remy groaned, typing away and switching disks again. "Dis'd take Remy least 10 to finish. She's _Good_."

Was Remy admitting there was another better than him? It just didn't seem feasible to Logan. Remy caught the look and grinned. 

"Don' worry, homme, Remy's still good. Matter o' fact, Remy be _great_. Just out o' practice wit' dis hackin' business…" Logan walked up to the computer, looking up at the large screen filled with technical mumbo-jumbo that he could never in a million years hope to understand, never mind process and interact with. Remy's fingers flew over the keys, typing at speeds even Logan was impressed with. Suddenly, without warning,  the screen went black. 

In a small font in the bottom corner of the screen was written a sentence.

[You are going to have to do better than that, LeBeau.]

"Fuck." Remy jumped out of his seat and ran to the large storage cabinets to the side of the room, flinging open the doors and opening the computer servers.  He quickly pulled out the motherboards and the wires connecting the mainframes, wincing as sparks began to fly. The electrical system whined, then died, before something blew and the lights turned off.

Logan stood there a second, arms crossed, until the emergency generators kicked in and dim lights turned back on.

"Great work, Gumbo."

"Meh, but Remy now knows who we up against." Logan looked at him again, and he rolled his eyes right back. "Dere's only four people dat can cause a critical overload like dat one. You lookin' at one o' dem, and the other two are guys." He dusted off his coat and went back to pick up the disks beside what remained of the computer.

"We're of to go t' Canada…" Remy sang lightly to the tune of some musical, trying to get a rise out of Wolverine. He just grumbled and pulled out his communicator, telling the Institute what was going on.

"Remy LeBeau, what'd'yeh do te me computer!" A loud, angry accented voice called back to them.

"Merde."

****************

Well, here we go, my first attempt at an X-men fic… what'cha think? Onle a couple reviews and I'll post the next chapter, it's all done and ready and everything…


	2. Nightclubs

Lost Identities 

By Saturnian Blonde

Standard Questionably Useful Disclaimer: Marvel owns all rights to characters, names, etc. No profit is being made from use of anything. Yet.

Rating: PG-13

Comments: Thanks, guys, for all the comments and reviews! Well… four… but that's a lot to me! *poor depraved author…* Well, like I promised, I'm giving out the next chapter…. See what feedback can do?

So anyways, we finally meet the thief…. And for those who ask, yes, it is going to be a Rogue/Remy. Although I am introducing … well, I won't give it away…. Read on!

Chapter ONE 

Logan and Remy had returned late, reporting immediately after their arrival to Professor Xavier's office to debrief what they had found.

"She keep changin' names, but when Remy knew her, she was goin' by some Russian name Remy can't pr'nonce right… Larissa… D'micknikov… somet'in like dat.."

"When did you meet her?"

"When Remy was workin' in N'awlens, he was hired by her throu' de Guilds. Sort of a mutual contract. Remy was t' teach her t'ievin, and she taught me how t' crack computers. De woman's damn good at dem, too."

"You taught her how to break into Moira's, then?" Logan asked.

"Hey, mind y', dis be quatre ans passés." 

            "How good was she?" Xavier asked.

            "Meh, She be not bad, but she wouldn't join de t'ieves guild. When it all over, she up and left. Told Remy dat she be workin' up near Montréal, Canada."

"She still there?"

"Non, she left f' Toronto. Remy's sure she still be dere. A friend been keepin' tabs on her." He leaned back in the chair, rubbing his chin.

            "Alright. In a couple days we'll send a team to go retrieve her." 

****************

Logan slowly approached the med lab, knowing that someone was down here. On his rounds, after being debriefed with Chuck and the Cajun, he had immediately smelled that someone had broken through the security, coming in from the kitchen and making their way down to the lower levels.

That girl, the one who had broken into Moira's, it was her, too.  He kept the lights off; no use in alerting her to his presence. _Chuck, you better know that we have company…_

As he slipped through the silent sliding doors, he could see a figure crouched beside the computer, typing quickly at the keys. As she shut off the computer and turned, he ducked behind a corner. She got up and dissolved into the shadows, disappearing from view. _Fuck me, since when can she do that?_

He let his claws loose with a snikt, and jumped at the first shadow that moved. A sudden gasp and the smell of blood assured him that he had hit _something._ He lunged at the shadow, grabbing her and shoving her against the wall, trapping her. He could feel that she was small, and with a well aimed kick to his knee, she startled him enough to push him away and duck under his grasp. 

He heard the elevator door open at the far end of the hall, groaning at the perfect timing of the others. Kurt and Hank ran down the hall, flipping on the lights. Logan swept across the air with another fist, catching the rip of her clothing. The smell of blood was stronger now, and in the lights he could see the droplets of blood on the floor. The shadows, now only a slight blur, ducked under whatever he threw, before a bedpan managed to catch him off guard, knocking him down.

 She materialized behind Kurt, a small girl with dark hair and pale skin. Dressed in baggy pants and a black top, long grazes could be seen on her thigh and across her abdomen. She took hold of Kurt's face, her eyes closed in concentration. Before Kurt could move, or Beast grab her, she teleported out of the room in a wisp of brimstone smoke. 

"Kurt, you okay?" Logan asked, getting up and rubbing his head. Kurt blinked. 

"Man, dat vas veird."

"What did she do?"

"She just touched me… but then she borrowed my powers? De fuzzy dude is sooo convused…"

"Did it feel like Rogue's powers? Pulling? Dizzy at all?"

"No, not like Rogue's at all… it kinda tickled, but then it was gone. I feel fine."

"SO where did she go?"

_She has left the premises._

"Bout time he showed up."

****************

            "She tripped only one alarm on the way out, which means she knew what she was doing… again." Scott sighed.

"She managed to access all my research, plus most of my information on all of the student's medical files." Beast spoke up.

"So she knows…"

"That you are all mutants, your powers, your weaknesses, your medical history. My computer has been purged of everything, I cannot access it. Remy has even looked at it and cannot find any trace of the information." He sighed and put down his glasses, rubbing his eyes.

"While you were trying to capture her, I finally got a good reading of her on Cerebro." Xavier spoke up. "It turns out she's a mutant I've been trying to pinpoint for many months now. Her powers enable her to copy the powers of other mutants, but exactly how she does this I am not sure."

"And dat's how she got out of ze mansion?" Kurt asked.

"When she touched you, something in her changed. Cerebro picked up an entirely new mutant. Whenever she switches powers, I assume Cerebro's readings of her change as well, which must be why I keep getting only glimpses of her." Kurt looked at Rogue, who was silent. She had been told first of what had happened to Kurt, and as she sat here listening, her expression grew more and more unreadable. Was this new mutant with an ability similar to her own? If so, how had she touched Kurt with seemingly no side effects, while her touch was deadly? Something in her warned her of this girl, but another part of her wanted desperately to talk to her. Xavier wasn't looking too pleased, either.

"Send a team immediately. Remy, Logan, Jean, Bobby, and Kurt. Find out what she's using that information for."

****************

Remy entered the club first, eyeing the people in it. It had been a while since he'd been to a club, much less one like this. Through the multicoloured lights and loud music, there were probably a hundred people crammed into the small room and it's outlying areas. Some song was being played in another language, and the people in the club were as diverse as the music.

It was still a nice place, though. He could sure see why she would prefer living here. He had to admit, Canada was a lot more mutant friendly than the States, especially in Toronto. Had he not  been here on business, he would have loved to explore a little, see the nightlife; it seemed that every tenth person in this club was a mutant, and weren't that afraid of showing it. He remembered the huge bouncers that clearly had some kind of superior strength. 

He looked to the bar, hoping to catch a glance of his contact. Through the pounding of some new techno piece, he saw him sitting at a table just off the dance floor, watching the singers and DJ's on the elevated stage in the middle of the room. 

"Piotr, glad t'see you."

The Russian turned to him, nodding, and ordered drinks for the people of age. Remy and the others took a seat around the table, Logan remaining standing. Summers had deemed that the team to bring her in should be larger, especially since she had managed to break into the institute herself and managed to escape; that in itself served as a blow to the man's ego. Why such a diverse team had been picked was odd. Jean had been tagged along because, hey, someone had to convince the bouncers to let them all into the club, seeing as half of the group were still underage, even by Canadian standards. The others, Kurt and Bobby… who knew.

"How long you been in town?

"Magneto has me doing small tasks around here. One of which is watching her." The last bit he said quietly, and Remy nodded. Xavier had told the group that she was being watched by Magneto, but he had only told Remy, because he knew her, and Scott, because he was the leader, that Magneto had given him most of the known information on her, as well as her location. How Erik knew, or why he was sharing, Xavier didn't say. That is, if he even knew.

"Over there. Is going by Annika around here. Her real name's London, though." He said, pointing to the dance floor. 

"Yeah, and there would be which one of the hundred people dancing?" Bobby said, noticing the large group.

"No, there." He gestured to the stage, where two girls were starting a new song, some fast paced techno beat to it. Bobby and Kurt both whistled; they were dressed both in white shirts and ties, and plaid miniskirts. A blonde and brunette.

"Think they're Catholic?" Kurt asked.

"They're Russian." Piotr said, grinning a little at the two boys drooling over themselves.

"The one on the left is her." The girl in reference was the shorter of the two, about 5 feet 5, and had long brown hair in soft waves, cascading to the middle of her back. She wasn't model thin by any means; instead she had curves in all the right places. Her face was thin, and her eyes seemed to glow in the bright lights. She had tattoos along her neck that disappeared under her shirt, patterns of lines and crescents. Something that was weird in itself, but seemed appropriate for her.

« Menja polnost'ju net, Absoljutno vser'ez.

Situacija help. Situacija S.O.S.

Ja sebja ne pojmu ty otkuda vzjalas'

Pochemu, pochemu? Na tebja povelas'

Vykljuchaetsja svet ja kuda-to lechu

Bez tebja menja net nichego ne hochu… »

Jean felt the pull from the two girls, that mental tug that enticed the people to listen to them. Like a small voice, quiet at the back of her head, that said 'Listen. We have something to tell you.'

Piotr heard Kurt sputter over his drink as he listened to the song the two girls both sang, and turned to him.

"Piotr, mein freund…"

"Da?"

"Is she saying vhat I think she's saying?"

"Da."

"What?" Bobby, turned away from the stage to look at them both. "What are they saying?"

"Only in Canada." Remy laughed, returning from the bar with another drink.

"Shouldn't we be going to get her?" Jean asked.

"And cause a scene? Nah, we'll have to wait till she's done."

"Don't start seein' t'ings dat aren't dere, hein?" Remy said, looking to them. "She's not a bad femme."

"What is she singing? Tell me!" Bobby whined.

"Just watch. It will get more interesting." Piotr said, leaning back. He had been watching her for a while; he knew what was coming.

« Bez tebja ja ne ja, Bez tebja menja net

A oni govorjat, Govorjat eto bred

Eto solnechnyj jad zolotye luchi

A oni govorjat nado srochno lechit'

Ja hotela zabyt' do upora i vniz

Ja schitaja stolby i rasterjannych ptic

Bez tebja menja net, otpusti. otpusti.

Do ugla po stene, mama, papa prosti.. »

The two girls danced around the stage, singing to themselves more than anyone else around them. Their own little intimate world.

"They're lesbians???" Bobby cried as the blonde pulled their target into a kiss on the stage; the crown erupted in cheers. Their song continued, and Piotr inwardly chuckled at Bobby's shocked expression. He leaned over to him.

"Plot: She loves her, she can't live without her; she knows how she feels, but everyone around her thinks she's crazy, that she's mentally ill because she loves a girl. She's apologizing to her parents." Bobby, looked at him. "They like to put little moral and political messages into their songs."

"Oooohhhh." _Now I get it. _ Bobby looked back to the stage, as the two girls finished and the DJ took over again, the crowd still cheering. _Damn, she was somewhat cute, too…_

"They use their powers that openly?" Jean asked, indignant at the abuse of their powers.

"This isn't that big a deal…they're performers. The more attention they grab, the more they get paid. Besides, only the blonde has that power."

"Now I know where I've met her before." Logan piped up taking a sip of his beer. "She was captured by Trask, too. Didn't get a chance to talk to her before. When we were escaping, she sang all the guards to sleep."

Logan knew her now. Her scent had changed, but he could tell it was still the same girl. She had been captured after him and the others, and she had put up one hell of a fight when they threw her in the same cell block as him. He didn't think they knew right away what her power was, so he didn't see much of her the first week, but when she returned, it was with a collar. 

She didn't say anything after that, not for the rest of the time she was in the same block as him and Rogue. Rogue had started calling her Echo, just so she had a name to respond to. She always seemed to be in pain, clutching her heart and stomach. And she still had those tattoos on her neck. 

But when the guards came in one day, she started to sing. And he felt that strange pull on him, until something told him, and the other mutants, to cover their ears. Guards had tried to pull her out of her cell, tried to get her to shut up, but she wouldn't. The stronger ones pulled her away as the weaker simply fell to the floor in a coma. 20 minutes after they had last seen her being dragged out, she came back, stumbling, and let them out of their cages. They had all fought free after that, with probably half the guards out cold, and somewhere in the middle of it she had disappeared.

Still inside the club, the two girls got down from the stage and walked towards the group. Logan moved closer to his target, watching,  as the two of them went through the crowd towards the bar. The blonde whispered some question to the bartender, and he pointed to a small corner. The blonde went over, while _Annika_ stayed at the bar, asking for and downing two shots of what smelt to be vodka, straight. _Guess we don't have to worry about the good girl outfit, _ Logan thought as he watched her. The blonde came back with two envelopes, one of which she kept for herself, the other she gave to Annika.

"How much is it this time?" She asked the girl, Logan now close enough to hear her over the loud music. He was surprised when she spoke; her Russian song had led him to believe she only spoke it, but her English, while having Canadian undertones, was perfect.

"Two grand each. Plus a meeting with some big shot next week for a possible record deal."

"You're fucking with me?" she said, breathless. Her eyes had gone wide, unbelieving, but the other nodded, and the two hugged, Annika clearly excited. "No shit! That's great! Ohmygod, I can hardly believe it!" She looked over at him, her smile dissipating away. _She must have seen me._ He walked away back towards the others, who had been watching her as well.

"She knows we're here, now's the time to move."

****************


	3. Caught

Lost Identities 

By Saturnian Blonde

Standard Questionably Useful Disclaimer: Marvel owns all rights to characters, names, etc. No profit is being made from use of anything. Yet.

Rating: PG-13

Comments: Does anyone want to be a Beta reader?

So, I've had a couple questions about who it is…. (YAY! People care!) and I promise you, you'll learn most of it later on, I think after this chapter. I hope that the character is believable, not a Mary-Sue, yadi yadi yada. I'm actually taking an actual person in the X-Men universe and adding to her story, because she doesn't really have one. (They killed her off so early!) I doubt that anyone will be able to guess who it could be, not until much later in the story. It's really obscure.

Anyways, so about her powers… without actually giving it away, I'll give you a hint: Think Mystique.

Chapter TWO 

FUUUUCCCKKK.

I swear on mother's grave that I saw him, the guy from the mansion with the claws. Considering that he lives in New York, and this isn't New York, there's no coincidence in him being here. I looked back to Lena, who was apparently asking me something.

"Um… yeah, sorry. I guess I'm just tired." I looked back over to where I saw him;  he was gone. "You know what, I'm headin' home. Wanna come with?" I asked with suggestive eyebrows. She only laughed, as did I.  "Stay here, enjoy yourself. I'll see you tomorrow, then." She leaned in and kissed me again, touching my cheek lightly.

"Love you." She whispered into my ear, and I smiled. Only she could make me forget all these damn problems. I said my goodbyes to the bartender, Jake, and went to grab my coat. 

I couldn't see that guy anywhere, which was starting to worry me. Had I really seen him, or am I just feeling guilty? I rubbed my head as I picked up my long coat, and walked out into the cold night. I shivered as I pulled up the hood and walked down the street to the subway. I regretted not driving tonight, but I hated finding parking. I didn't have cash on me for a taxi, only the check for working. I shifted my powers again, to make me invisible at my command. I knew something was going to happen. I looked over my shoulder and saw two people tailing me.

 I was doomed. 

****************

Remy and Bobby followed her, while the others followed them in the car. Kurt was following her from ahead, transporting and pretending to just be another person on the street. 

She seemed much smaller than before, her long coat hiding her. She had her hood pulled over her hair, and she managed to blend in rather well, if not for the fact that they had three eyes on her, they may have lost her already. She turned a corner, and they sped up a little, uneasy to find her out of their sight. When the looked past the corner, she had almost disappeared, now running down the street, her coat flapping in the wind as she abruptly ducked down an alley.

When they finally caught up, Kurt had managed to grab her and pull her into the alley, but she still fought his grasp. Remy grabbed her shoulder.

"Chère, stop fighting! We jus' want t' talk!" She narrowed her eyes, and brought her foot up to kick him in the stomach. Managing to twist Kurt's arm off of her, she pushed him away, and turned invisible.

"Just want to talk?! God damn it, Remy LeBeau, if you just wanted to talk, why the hell couldn't you just pick up the fuckin' phone, like normal people!" A voice called from the shadows. It was a dead end, and the three guys made it almost impossible to slip past them.

"Ve just vant to ask you a couple qvestions!" Kurt called out to her.

"Was that before or after you decided to follow me, _at night_, might I add, scare the living shit out of me, and then _jump_ me in a dark alley?" The voice, now sounding a little panicked,  had moved again. It seemed closer. Remy's arm snaked out, and in a moment, he held a struggling girl against his chest.

"Damn it, chère, stop dis. We just want t' know who you workin' for. Dem files can't get into certain hands."

"I ain't workin' for no one! Let me go…" She said. Something in her voice, in her eyes, had changed, and she quit fighting against him so vehemently. She finally saw the others, Jean and  Logan, standing at the mouth of the alley, and when her eyes met Logan's she absolutely froze.

"Who are you working for?" He growled, advancing on her. 

"No one!" She cried, shaking now. Logan was about to pop his claws, but Jean stopped him.

"Logan, don't! She's telling the truth." She spoke up. Annika, or rather, London, stood there limply, still being held by Remy. She looked absolutely terrified, and something else as well. Jean tried getting some surface impressions from her, but couldn't seem to find her. When London looked at her, and must have realized what was going on, Jean seemed to get everything.  Her mind seemed so open, with relatively no shields. The sheer amount of data, though, flooded her mind to the point where she couldn't think straight, and she pulled away just as quickly.

"If we let you go, will you talk to us?" She asked her. London hesitated for a moment, almost saying no. Logan took another step towards her, and she withdrew even more.

"F-fine." She said in a small voice, defeated. Remy let her go, and she backed away from them, her arms wrapped around herself.

"Is there somewhere we can go to talk?" Bobby provided, and most of them either looked to London or to Jean or Logan.

"I-……. I have an… apartment," She offered. Most of them looked stunned that she had spoken, never the less offered a place to go. That it was her apartment even more. Bobby glanced at her; she looked… he couldn't tell, either ashamed or reluctant, like she was trapped either way. Her expression made her seem so small, innocent, that he had to remind himself that this was the girl who had broken into the mansion.

"That would be wonderful." Jean smiled. London almost smiled back, but didn't. She walked past them, back out to the alley, leading them to her home.

****************

She unlocked the door, entering the dark room and turning on the lights. She had a rather large apartment in the middle of downtown Toronto, something that in itself indicated that she had money, or at least had ways of getting it.  It was a large apartment, with ceiling to floor windows that opened out to a small balcony and looked out past the CN Tower. Most of the apartment was open, the kitchen and living room together and separated by a counter and glass cabinets. Off to the left was a bathroom and her room. The room was modest; perhaps because she liked it like that, or maybe that she didn't normally live here much.

She let them enter, and locked the door behind them. Jean and Bobby sat down on the couch, Logan took a chair by the window, and Kurt and Remy sat on stools by the counter. Sprawled over most of the surface were dozens of pages with notes on them, thick textbooks on Genetics and Anatomy, and her laptop was open with some document on the screen. 

She stood there, unsure of what to say. "Would you like something to drink?" 

"That would be lovely." London went to the kitchen, making tea for Jean and Kurt, a glass of water for Bobby. Logan watched her carefully. She took her coat off and hung it up in the closet, and Logan finally got to see her in the light, fully, without darkness or strobe lights or bulky combat clothing. She was small, not chubby but not thin. She didn't look older than 16, but he knew she had to be closer to 20. Those strange tattoos down her neck actually went around her face and forehead before going down her neck and underneath her shirt. Now that he saw it, they actually ran down the sides of her legs as well. Instead of lines and circles, though, they were veins.

He looked instead to her actions, noticing how she bit her lip as she opened the fridge, how she went about taking glasses from the cupboards, how she discretely found a bottle of vodka and took another shot when she thought no one was looking. 

She returned with a tray, and set it on the coffee table.

(You look like you're going to attack her, Logan.) a voice in his head spoke.

(Jean, get out of my head.)

He blinked and looked up, seeing London, or Annika, or whatever her name is, offering him a beer.

"Peace offering?" She asked as he took it. He could practically smell her fear, how nervous she was around him. Well, it wasn't his fault she broke in and stole something.

"Thanks." He said half heartedly, taking the cold bottle from her hand. She visibly recoiled away from him, and he thought he heard a telepathic sigh in his head, but let it go.

"So, what's your name?" Kurt asked. Logan could have slapped himself.

"Jessie Langford."

"Yo' real name," Remy added, grinning charmingly. She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms as she leaned against a wall. 

"London. London Sikorba. " 

"How old are you?" He pressed further.

"19," she said, questioning eyes shining back to him.

"Where were you on the night of Thursday, March 23?" She choked, looking at Kurt as if he had grapes growing out of his ears. She laughed lightly. 

"Well, I'm Jean Grey, and this is Bobby Drake, Logan, and Kurt Wagner." She said, indicating to each person in turn. "I assume you already know Remy."

"Unfortunately." She said. He looked hurt for a moment before he grinned, and she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Chère, you haven't changed."

"You used to be a good hacker, too. I can't believe you screwed up on a simple command like that…"

"You knew?"

"'Course! I only designed that whole program, of course I know whenever anyone accesses it… you really botched it up. I thought I taught you better. _'Spike, then send.', _did I not drill that into your head enough? "

"What 'bout you, chère? Setting dat silent alarm on your way out o' de mansion? Smooth…"At that she blushed lightly, and hung her head. Her arm absently dropped to hover over her hip, where Logan knew he had caught her with his claws.

"So get to the point of why you're here." She said defensively, and looked to Remy pointedly. Jean spoke up instead.

"We were just hoping to get the information returned. The info, as you must know, is of a very delicate nature, and we must ensure that you don't have ulterior motives."

"It never left your computer."

"Pardon?"

"Just as I said. I didn't take the information out of the computer. It's still there. hidden and encrypted."

"Still at de mansion?"

"I may have taught you everything you know, LeBeau, but I haven't taught you everything _I_ know."

"You have no copies?" Jean asked, and she shook her head. 

"I looked for what I needed, I learned it, I left." She scoffed. "Honestly, I'm not stupid. How was I to know you wouldn't just come and kill me when you found out I did it? I _didn't,_ so I made sure you still needed me alive," she glared poignantly at Logan, "If it came to that."

"But you did copy everything from Muir Island." Jean said. London looked at her, face blank. She nodded. 

"She was doing research on recombinant DNA and mutancy. I needed access to that information, and it was more than I would have been able to store just by looking at it."

"Why would you need info on that?" Jean asked, curiosity piqued.

"I won't answer that." London turned her gaze away from her, turning instead to stare at the carpet. Jean tried to pry again, and could only sense a growing urgency for the information, not a desire to give it away. _Well, she's telling the truth…_

"Will you come back to New York with us? We need you to unlock those files, as soon as possible." 

"What, now?" She snapped up, her eyes flashing with something.

"Can you see a better time?" London looked at her watch, mind furiously trying to come up with an excuse, but drawing blanks.

"Oh….. fine. But I can go right after? I'm not going to be jumped again? I'll never see you again?" She looked at each person, who after a nod from jean, all agreed. London sighed, leaving back against the wall. "Fine." She mumbled.

Kurt, Bobby and Remy left to get the BlackBird while London rummaged around the counter arranging the scattered papers and books. Packing her laptop away in a messengerbag, she grabbed a few personal items out of her room, and something else off of the balcony.

Just as they were about to leave the phone rang. London picked it up, and winced. Looking to the door, she turned away, and spoke in Russian. Logan watched in the doorway. She seemed to be trying to explain something. _Probably where she's disappearing to at 3 in the morning._ Her voice turned pleading before he guessed the person hung up on her, for she stared at the phone for a second, confused and pained. She set the phone back on the cradle, and looked at it for a moment, before remembering where she was going. She picked up her coat and her purse, and along with her small bag, she locked the door and left.

****************

I'm evil… so there's your first view into London. (man, I love that name!) Tell me what you think…


	4. Job Offers

Lost Identities 

By Saturnian Blonde

Standard Questionably Useful Disclaimer: Marvel owns all rights to characters, names, etc. No profit is being made from use of anything. Yet.

Rating: PG-13

Setting: Some people have asked, it is AU. Set mostly in the X: Evo series, but taking some liberties with things… I apologize for my terrible knowledge of the Evolution series… anyone familiar with Canadian television? Yeah, I don't subscribe to the WB, so my only source for all things X-men is YTV, which I don't think has shown anything past the first season. Grr. Anyone care to help is welcome!

Comments: thanks, mates, for all the wicked reviews you leave! I do hear your concerns (and my own fears) about her becoming a Mary Sue…. **LORD FORBID!** Well, I'm really trying not to let her become one, but I have a feeling that I won't be able to prove it until a couple more chapters… It's kinda a boring part, because, you know, she has to be introduced to everyone, she's stuck going to this new school right, and it's kinda the paperwork scenes… 

But either way, you gotta be happy that I'm getting out almost a chapter a day, right? ^_^

And I am still looking for a beta-reader…. I really need someone to bounce ideas off of, things like that…

Chapter THREE 

When she got to the mansion, she was ushered right away to the lab computer, where Remy and Logan stood like guards while she retrieved the file. Logan seemed to be drilling holes into the back of her head while she worked, while Remy played a game of solitaire with a deck of cards. An hour later, she finished writing something down on a sheet of paper beside her and turned to the door. Logan blocked her way, and, as tired as she was, she tried give her coldest glare right back at him.

"I'm done; You said I could go."

He looked to Remy, who sauntered back over to the computer and double-checked the files, making sure they were all there and not tampered with. 

When he was done, she was ushered back to the main level, and into someone's office. She sat down and waited, tired from having been up most of, no, all night now. Looking out a wide window, she could see the beginnings of dawn approaching.  She really wished she could go have a drink, or have a smoke, or just go to bed, which ever she could manage first. Her eyes darted to her bag, where she knew she had some darts left. Before she could even consider checking to make sure they were still there, the door opened. She stood and turned to see a man in a wheelchair enter the room. She stood silently while the man wheeled himself beside her.

"Welcome. I'm Professor Charles Xavier." He held out an offered hand, and she hesitantly shook it, looking him over. He had a warm smile, which immediately made her feel both welcomed and suspicious.

"I would be interested to know how…."

"Look," she said pleadingly, looking to her watch. "I'm sure I've caused you enough trouble already, if you don't mind I would just like to leave." He just smiled again, a thoughtful expression on his face that worried her even more.

"I would be glad to arrange for your departure back to Toronto. Would you not rest a little before you return?"

"Toronto? No, don't worry about it, I'm just going to go to New York,"

"Do you have a place to stay there?"

"I have an apartment, yes,"

"Very well, then. Might I ask your profession?"

"Huh?" She looked at him, confused. Was he trying to stall me? "I do a bunch of things."

"Such as?" She blinked; why did he want to know that? "I study Genetics, I occasionally sing…"

"I also hear you're the best hacker on the North American continent. Perhaps even further than that. Would you be interested in a job offer?"

"I-I'm sorry, what?"

"I was quite impressed that you were able to not only break through our security almost flawlessly, but also hack your way into our computer system. I tend to pride myself on them; the fact that you broke through indicates that maybe they were not up to my expectations."

"Oh, no… they were good…" She chuckled lightly, wondering why she was talking to him at all. "The security was much harder, because I was never really any good at it anyways… but you're computers were one of the best systems I've seen thus far. Second only to the CIA and FBI, and some other international organizations…"

"So I take it you're able to get into those databases as well?"

"Sure, plenty of times…" She shook her head, shuddering as she looked around, then back to Xavier. "I said that… out loud, didn't I?" Something pulled her thoughts to Xavier again.

"Well, I'm pleased that you think so highly of it then. I would like to offer you a chance to help me improve the systems. It's been a while since I've had them updated, and you're arrival here has only demonstrated that it needs to be done.

"Wait- how can you trust me to overhaul your entire security system, when not three days ago I hacked my way in and stole info from you? Even my warped sense of logic tells me that something's not right here… what are you not telling me?"

*It's been hard, hasn't it? Each day you try to fight them off, the attacks, hoping they won't hurt as much as the last one?*

She gasped, jumping out of her chair and staring at him.

"Tell me…. Tell me I did not just hear… you… inside my head!?"

*I'm a mutant, just like yourself. My ability is telepathy.*

"You're a… and so is… and the rest of them? You're all mutants?" She exhaled, walking around the chair. " So what is this place? A support group?" He laughed, smiling widely.

 "Of sorts. I run a school for mutants. We help them learn about their abilities, how to control them, and how to co-exist with society." She took this in with a decisive snort and a crooked grin. "I take it you don't think that Mutants and humans can live together?"

"Huh, nah, I never really thought about it. Had enough of my own problems to deal with, never mind having to figure out a side to pick. Maybe it's more of a 'They can, only if they want to,' type of deal. I always figured that you could tell a person the truth, but you can't make them believe it."

"Well said.  If only there were more people with that type of attitude towards mutants. I was wondering if you could tell me more about you own mutation. You seem to study much on the subject."

"How you figure that?"

"What other 19 year-old would steal information about highly technical genetics-related material on a Friday night?" She laughed, which Xavier took as a good sign. He could sense her reservations about her, and had used slight influences of his power to coax her to open up, to get her to realize that she wasn't in trouble. Her guilt he could feel, but along with it was a sense of necessity; he was curious as to why she felt she had to steal the material.

"Well, doc, I guess you got me. Guilty-as-charged for having no social life. Um… well…. The thing is, it's kinda hard to explain…" he waited for her to continue. "It's like…. In my mind, it's like a computer, like a set of numbers. But each number is instead a gene in my DNA. I can turn those numbers in my head into changes in my DNA."

"So you can change your shape?" For the sake of argument, she nodded her head. She wasn't going to tell him everything; tell him what he wants to know and hope to make a clean getaway.

"I change my DNA around, but that also changes where the X-gene is, right?" She frowned, and sat down in the chair, folding her hands on the desk in front of her. "Well, this is my theory… You know how all mutants have an X-gene somewhere?" he nodded. "Well… I think somewhere along the line, whether I meant to or not, I changed the gene itself. I think it split, so there's two. Because, I can change my DNA, which affects my appearance, but then… it's like, I have to change the next gene, the second one, and with it I can change my abilities."

"You can change abilities…"

"Like, I could be able to turn invisible one minute, then the next, I could be able to, I don't know, read minds like you."

"That is quite a theory. I would like to be able to try it out."

"I would have already, except I never had exposure to the right equipment to get a DNA sample. And I have had so many other things to worry about that I don't think I'll ever have the chance.

"How so?"

"It takes a lot to change my DNA… I feel that if I'm not careful, I could just up and die if I got it wrong. That's why I see the numbers in my head, I think. I spend so much time just trying to learn how to control the changes that… I don't know… I'm not making sense anymore." She sighed, rubbing her head.

"I think I understand. It may very well be a possibility that you have to stay in control all the time."

"When I'm around people long enough, I start to pick up on their own traits, too. And if I touch someone, I can absorb their genetic material and insert it into my own, and it's much easier. But if I don't watch myself, these things just assert themselves without my control. It's happened where I've woken up one morning and look completely different from the person I went to bed as."

"Is your… current form what you normally look like?"

"No… I haven't known what I look like since I found out I had this damn power."

"When was that?"

"When I was five."

"So how do you learn these new abilities?"

"Well, I only really know how to control three or four of them. It's a matter of knowing what the gene, well, _looks like_, then changing my own DNA to accommodate it, then learning how to switch between the two different DNA's, then learning how to control the actual _power._ It takes so long…"

"So what can you do?"

"I can heal others, I can turn invisible, and I can manipulate people's minds through sounds."

"That's quite a collection in itself, then. You must be tired, though. I'll have one of my people drive you to your apartment. Then, whenever you feel up to it, feel free to come back and I'll discuss further with you what I'd like you to help me with, regarding security.

"Sure…" She stood wearily, picking up her bags. "Oh, just one thing… sorry to sound rude, but… what exactly am I going to get out of this deal-thing?"

"Well, if you help me upgrade all the systems, depending on how long that takes, I think we would start at…" he wrote a number on a scrap of paper and handed it to her. Her eyes bulged at the paper. 

"T-Ten… T…" she went to say something, but instead closed her mouth. "You're kidding me!" She had had the occasional hacking job before, but never was she paid very well, nothing like the sum of _Ten thousand dollars! This guy must be loaded!_

"_Are you sure?_ I mean, that's _way_ too much…"

"I am quite sure. The security of my students I put very highly." She gulped at that, guilt washing over her again. "In essence, I am hoping you may decide to enrol at this school." She thought silently for a minute. Go to this school? From what she had learned of it, it was pretty much just a dormitory. They held some classes, like self defence, and from what this guy Xavier implied, he must also teach a lot more. 

_I mean, come on, this place is a mansion, he has a swimming pool, it's in the middle of nowhere, and that wasn't a commercial jet they flew you here in! Look at the information he has! His own medical lab, no ordinary people have that… he says he values their safety, which probably means that he trains them to use their powers, because they're ALL MUTANTS!_

"I agree, we do have all those things. Some of the students here have powers so diverse that, unless they learn to control them, they pose a threat to those around them, and themselves as well. Just like you."

"I'm not a threat."

"No, you're right. But you do fear the pain that your mutation causes."

"Can… can I think about it?"

"Absolutely." The door opened, and a tall man with red sunglasses entered the room, followed by Jean.

"London, this is Scott Summers. He will be the one to drive you to your apartment, if you'll be so kind as to give him the address." She nodded, and stood again, picking up her bag and coat.

"It was nice to meet you, Professor."

"Likewise." She smiled weakly and nodded, following Scott out.

"So," Jean sat down on the chair, "What do you think?"

"She certainly is unique."

"Did you read her mind?"

"Indeed, I did. You've noticed how she seems invisible, unless she looks at you." Jean nodded. "Her thoughts flow so quickly that it's amazing. She has virtually no shielding; once you manage to get in, there's no limit to what can be done."

"How do you feel about her?"

"Well, her mutation is very strange," he sighed. "And she has almost limitless power, once she learns to control it. I don't think she ever will, it being so demanding. What powers have to seen her use?"

"Only invisibility and her singing…it's almost like subliminal messaging, no matter what she sings, she can filter through any idea into the sounds… at the club where we found her, she used her powers, which I believe she got from a… friend of hers, to hold people's attention. Logan said she was also one of the mutants that Trask got a hold of. She apparently sang the guards to sleep, and helped the others out."

"As she said… her powers are to change her DNA molecules. She can change her shape and duplicate other powers as well… I believe that we should keep an eye on her. See if she will join the X-men."

"Do you really think she will?"

"It's hard to say. I offered her a job here to overhaul our computer systems and security. In return, we will help her with her powers. That's really all she wants, to control them. I think they cause her a great deal of pain."

"Well, she must have loved the idea of staying here."

"I had to influence her a little. She will get back to me tomorrow with her decision."

"Do you think she will stay?"

"I count on it."

****************

I hope the new formatting is better for some of you to read…. I swear, it just added the spaces when I uploaded the chapter. So anyways, I would have had this up sooner, but ff.net wouldn't upload any chapters all week… I'll make it up and post two chapters! Don't cha love me??? Nah.


	5. Technicalities

Lost Identities 

By Saturnian Blonde

Standard Questionably Useful Disclaimer: Marvel owns all rights to characters, names, etc. No profit is being made from use of anything. Yet.

Rating: PG-13

Comments: well, I really got out all I wanted to say last author's rant in the previous chapter. Coolness.

Chapter FOUR 

London walked into the room, dropping her bags and setting down a box on the empty bed.

"So this is my room?" She asked Remy, who leaned on the door jam. 

"So how'd de Prof' convince y' t' stay?"

"What is the only think that would?"

"He payin' you dat much?"

"Money is the oil that moves the world… or something like that…" She sighed and walked around the room, opening the window to let a slight breeze into the room. 

"Y' also get a roommate." She groaned and flopped down on the bed.

"He never told me that. I assume it's a girl, right? I figure you don't get the whole co-ed thing happening here in the rooms, right? Nah, that would make Remy all too happy…or perhaps there's some chick? Could that be the reason you grin like an idiot every fifteen minutes?"

"Et qu'est ce que ça veut dire?" He asked indignantly.

"It means that you're a player, shugah." A voice said from behind him. London sat up as Remy moved out of the way to see a Goth girl holding her own box of things. She stepped into the room and looked around. "Well, it's certainly bigger than mah ol' room." She looked through an adjoining door. "An' we get our own bathroom!? Hallelujah!"

London suddenly recognized the girl as one of the people she'd seen while captured by Trask. The one with the feisty temper and the one… oh, what was her power again? She never heard what it was, but something struck her as odd when she saw the gloves she wore. The girl turned back to her and looked her over. "Well, Echo, ya look better than the last time ah saw ya."

"Same to you..." She said, unsure of what to say. Rogue supplied her name, as a nagging curiosity to ask her what her powers were kept reasserting itself in her mind, but she decided against it. After all, _if she wants to tell me, let her say it herself._

"So, yah can talk, after all! Never said much before."

"Well, Remy'll leave y' two lovely ladies t' unpack." Simultaneously, two pillows were thrown at his head, barely missing and hitting the closed door.

"Ah, swear, ah'll kill him one of these days…" London grinned wickedly.

"I think we'll get along just fine."

"Yah know… ah never got ta thank yah for helpin' us get out of there… and fer what yah did for Fred.,," Memories clouded her head for a minute as she relived the pain. 

"Don't worry about it. It's their own fault that they pissed me off."

"What exactly did yah do ta them?"

"Well… it was, what, months ago… I'm sure most of them are out of their coma's by now." She looked doubtful, but shrugged it off. "I hope they're okay… Oh well. I ain't gonna miss them anytime soon, so what the hey…"

"So?" London paused as she realized she didn't really answer her question. _Damn, she'll pry it out of me, too. _

"It's weird… during this one – test – they took off the collar, and I used my powers in an instant, for something that I could use to get out. When they put it back on, it only blocked my ability to change myself, not to actually use anything… and when the time was right, I just used my powers again. Put a thought into their minds and make them fall unconscious."

"That's kinda vague, yah know… what is yah power?"

"Without the long technical mumbo-jumbo that I doubt you'd understand anyways… I'm sort of like a mimic. I take other's appearances and powers."

"Like a shapeshifter?" Rogue was instantly on guard.

"No, not really… they change around their atoms, I actually change my DNA." She moved to unpacking her stuff. Rogue was silent for a time as she unpacked her own, tacking up posters on the walls.

"So you change yah DNA? Does it stay that way, or do yah change back to yourself after a time?"

"No, it stays that way. I don't know what my original DNA is anymore. Hell, I don't know what colour my hair or eyes are… or if I'm this height, damn I'd wish to be taller." Rogue smiled inwardly at the way she talked. Her accent wasn't all that unlike an American, but she could tell it was different, they way she pronounced things and word phrasing.

Her mind set working on ideas as the two girls unpacked the rest of their stuff. London had less, so the rest of the time they spent helping Rogue move her stuff from her and Kitty's room, where a new mutant was moving in. Some other valley girl, and Rogue, as she found out, was only too happy to have a change of vocabulary from the non-cessing ramblings of 'like'.

****************

"There is no way in hell I'm going to school again!"

Charles Xavier was going through the portfolio of documents that London had given him. Canadian Passports, social insurance numbers, numerous identification documents that he had asked for, to facilitate the joining of his school. He was sure half of them were false, but he said nothing. She had very little information about herself to go on, that he was surprised that she had managed so well with so little. 

He was in the middle of telling her most of the rules of the house and what was expected, as well as going through the contract agreements for their business transactions, when she came across one small problem.

"All my students are required to go to the local high school, or study here exclusively. Unless there is some other logical reason why you won't attend, such as-"

"I've already graduated." She pulled out the last pages in her documents, a high school diploma and  Honorary Masters Degree from a university.

"St. Francis Xavier University?"

"Ironic, ain't it? I've already got all that stuff, who says I should go to school?"

"And you graduated in one year?"

"I'm gifted."

"What was your field of study?"

"Genetics. With a Minor in Biochemistry."

"Well, upon verification of this, I will agree to let you avoid school. However, it would be beneficial if you could be around people your own age in a social environment…"

"Isn't that what I do here?" He chuckled, when she realized she was only teasing him.

"There is one position I know of that could be useful to you, and will put you in a school environment without you being a student."

"Fine, if I must."

"I also know of a mutant who has a similar power to your own; if she is willing, she may be able to help you with your physical transformations." She visibly went three shades paler, and he heard her gulp.

"That would be—great, thanks." She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes, and it quickly disappeared. "How much longer is this going to take?"

"Trust me, this is only to get all the formalities out of the way."He continued to peruse through the documents, when something caught his eye. "What's this?" He said, holding up a small license card. She shrugged nonchalantly. 

"Some people in Canada are legally entitled to possess medicinal 'alternative treatments.' "

"A license to carry marijuana? And you need this why?"

"When I was having problems with my powers, I went to doctors, the stupid hosers thought it was terminal cancer. All they could do was ease the pain, so they prescribed marijuana."

"I don't allow it on school grounds." 

"It's not on school grounds."

"You're lying."

"No I'm not… technically, it's four meters past your property lines, carefully hidden." He chuckled, but remained serious.

"I won't allow it to be a threat to the other students."

"I don't use the stuff half the time; Sheesh, it's not like I'm some chronic druggie or anything. And I know enough not to give it to anyone, since one, it is illegal, and two, do you think me stupid enough to give it to any of the kids around this place? Honestly, they're on crack, they don't need any pot added to the mix.."

"I won't protect you if Logan finds it either." She recoiled and went white.

"I'll get rid of it." She said quickly.

"That's what I thought."

****************

"Vhy does she not have to go to school?" Kurt asked as they piled into Scott's car. The convertible pulled away from the school, heading to Bayville High. 

"Because she's already graduated, that's why!"

"Then vhy doesn't she go to college, like Scott or Jean?"

"Because she's also already been there, and graduated." Rogue answered.

"I do not think dat's right… She's only 19, are you sure?"

"Apparently the Professor had her write an exam to prove it, and verified it with her schools and universities." They finally pulled into the parking lot.

"Then why is she here – and talking to Ms. Darkholme?" Evan asked. They all looked over to see London standing by the doors, talking to Mystique in disguise as the principal.

"I don't know. Has she been warned of her, or of the Brotherhood for that matter?" Scott asked.

"I don't know. I mean, she can't be doing something that the Professor doesn't know about, right?"

"Well, ask her. We've gotta go, or we'll be late for classes." Scott and Jean pulled away, leaving the others walking towards the school.

"I vonder about her…" Kurt mumbled suspiciously as they approached, and Rogue elbowed him.

"She ain't all that bad, shugah… no more than me, anyways…"

"London!" She turned at her name to see Kitty and the others. A small smile appeared to them before it disappeared. "What's up? We thought you didn't, like, haveta go to school?"

"I'm not a student, but Professor Xavier still thought I should be in a school environment, to get to know some kids around my own age, too. So I'm now an assistant teacher… I think. Something like that."

"You're our teacher?" Evan choked out, and Kurt made a face.

"Hardly. But hey, at least this is only a half day thing. So how the hell does this timetable work?" Rogue explained it to her as they walked inside, and the girls departed, showing her to the Biology labs.

"This'll be really veird… her, a teacher… in a position ov authority und respect… unable to have any pranks pulled upon her, because she knows vhere we sleep…" Kurt looked wistful as the idea of prank-immunity crushed him.

"No sweat, fuzzy-man, I mean there's still the brotherhood, right?" Evan looked down the hall, where Pietro was flirting with some senior. A wicked grin crossed both of their faces.

****************

Bobby was amazed at how calm and collected London looked when she entered the classroom. Only her eyes gave away any clue to her nervousness, darting around the classroom, looking over the students. Her eyes fell on him and he gave a small smile, which she returned with something akin to gratitude.

"Alright, listen up." The biology teacher, Mr. Epps, a bald, aged man with a beer belly and a mean look on his face entered the room. "This is Sikorba, she's the assistant teacher for the rest of the year. She'll be teaching half the classes during the week, listen to her, don't give her any bull, I'll be back by lunch." He added to her in passing as he picked up his jacked and left the classroom. All composure she held left when the door shut, her staring after him with wide eyes and shocked expression. She turned slowly back to the class.

"Is he always like that?" Most students nodded. "Asshole." The class grinned.  "Right then… um, lets face it, I haven't taught before, but at least I understand the stuff I'm supposed to teach you. You can put away your text books, you won't need them for my classes, since they're full of shit anyways." A girl in the back raised her hand. 

"What are we supposed to call you?"

"Right., I guess we may as well go over proper introductions, since Mr. I've-got-a-stick-up-my-ass didn't really care to give them. My name's London. Last name's Sikorba. I'll respond to anything; 'hey you', 'what's your name', I don't really care. One insult and you're out of here, though, so keep it clean. London or Ms. S is fine… just don't let the other teachers know about it.

"Right then, I hear you're supposed to be learning about Genetics? Start out easy, take out a piece of paper and write everything you know about the subject."

****************

"I hate him," London said as she slid down into the empty seat at their table.

"Who?" Kitty asked around a bite of an apple.

"That Epps. I can't believe he is a teacher, he's been teaching everything wrong! GRR! How did I ever let Xavier talk me into this stupid teaching thing??" London dropped her head to the table, leaving it there.

"He is easily the most hated teacher in the school, I'll give you that. Besides the principal." Bobby agreed.

"I dunno, I thought she was okay. A little stiff…"

"Wait till she finds out who you hang with. She isn't very amiable to us, because we're X-men--"

"More like X-geeks." They turned to see Pietro and the rest of the Brotherhood standing behind them, Quicksilver with his usual smirk plastered to his face.

"What, yah couldn't come up with anything bettah than that?" Rogue groaned, hardly looking up from her book. London, however, did look at them. Pietro ignored the comment, noticing the new girl. Mystique hadn't told them that the X-men had a new member.

"SO you've got another runt to the litter, eh?" Pietro looked her over, eyes criticizing her body. He turned to Lance with a smirk, "I thought you said she was thin."

"HEY!" Both Rogue and Bobby pushed away from the table. Kurt looked to London, who was quiet, eyes closed, head down. A shimmer on her neck took Kurt's attention to her skin; She had changed something.

"You ready to start a fight, Maximoff?" Evan challenged, stepping up to him. Lance and Toad closed in on them. Fred stood a little ways off, looking at London with something akin to respect in his eyes.

"With you?" Pietro scoffed, zooming around Evan. "I'd much rather get to know your little friend here," he said. London looked him in the eye, her face as impassive as she could keep it. He just leered down at her.

            "So what's your power, eh? These geeks only hang out with freaks like themselves. What makes you one of them?" He ran a finger up her neck, tracing her veins. "Maybe this?"

Something changed in her eyes as she froze when he touched her. Her veins shimmered again.

[You should leave me alone.] The voice echoed around him, breaking his gaze on her as his eyes unfocused. 

"Nah, I should leave you alone. You're not worth my time." He agreed, and he backed off from her, leaving their table. The rest of the Brotherhood confusedly following, casting quizzical glances after him.

"How did you do dat?" Kurt asked, placing his hand on her shoulder. The small trance she seemed to be in shattered, and she looked up at him.

[I made him follow it.] The same voice said around them, and London sat heavily down at the table, rubbing her forehead. 

"Just leave her be, she's in sing-song mode." Rogue said, sitting back down. London laughed lightly, her echoes allowing them to feel her amusement at the small comment. She concentrated, and the shimmering once again changed something in her.

"Sorry," she said, wincing at the sound. She leaned against her hand, still holding her head.

"You okay?" Bobby asked. "Sometimes Pietro can be a pain. We should have warned you earlier."

"Nah, t's all good. It's just a headache."

"We should keep you around more if you can get rid of him that easily…" Evan said, throwing an empty carton of milk in a trash can.

"You wouldn't keep me around if I didn't?" London looked hurt. Evan balked, but she just laughed.

"Kidding. Anyways, you better get back to class, you don't wanna be late."

"What about you?"

"Oh, I only have to help in the morning Biology and Chemistry classes. LeBeau's s'posed to pick me up and take me back to the hideout." The warning bell rang, and they got up and left. London waited for Remy to show up, wincing painfully as another wave of nausea hit her.

No one noticed Pietro staring at her from across the courtyard.

****************

Hmmm….. I dunno about this chapter… tell me what you think, because I may just rework it….


	6. Help

Lost Identities 

By Saturnian Blonde

Standard Questionably Useful Disclaimer: Marvel owns all rights to characters, names, etc. No profit is being made from use of anything. Yet.

Rating: PG-13

Comments: I hope this explains some things about her powers…. Thanks for all the lovely reviews!

  Chapter FIVE 

Xavier watched from the observation room as London finished the rewiring job in some circuitry in the Danger Room. She had finished the external security in less than two days. Working together with Remy, when they weren't fighting amongst each other, they managed to fill in the gaps in security. Well, the ones they would admit to.

He had allowed her some timeframes to help her with her powers in the afternoon, and she had given him her plans to create a new simulation program for the Danger Room, excited to finally be able to work with sufficient technology to help her powers along. 

            "It's a program that allows me to study DNA from top to bottom. It uses holographs to display the information, and I can then interact with the holos. It'll help me remember all the strands, and then I can manipulate them to see what changes will affect the whole in what ways… you know?"

            He had given her permission, and she had been working all week installing new technology, and he was excited to witness her handiwork.

            He saw her give the go ahead, and activated the program. The lights went out in the room, as four separate holo-projectors started, displaying a huge fuzzy image. She groaned, and a swift kick to the panel she had been working on soon brought the image into focus. A perfect 3D replica of a DNA strand hung in the air, slowly spinning on an axis.

            She pulled on a thin pair of gloves, sensors attached to the fingers. He watched marvelled as she moved her hands, the computer picking up on her actions and doing as she commanded. The program acted like an interface, allowing her complete control over the animations.

            "Well, it seems to work fine so far," she said, as a small holo-projected keyboard appeared in front of her. He watched the speed at which she furiously typed, inserting new commands, starting to download the information she had into the computer, watching with wide eyes as the DNA strand in front of her morphed to accommodate the changes. With a wave of her hand, she could zoom in to one part of the strand, searching each gene throughout.

            "I'll leave you to your work, then," he said as he turned off the intercom. She didn't notice as she stood in the middle of the room, transfixed at the images in front of her. She saw images of what physical attributes the DNA would give a person, had full predictions of mutant abilities, and the exact placement of both X Genes, how the were formed at the moment in herself. She smiled as she entered more and more data, the real-person construct of the DNA shifting more and more until it formed a replica of her current body.

             "Perfect."

****************

             "Bayville High main office, how may I help you?" Sheryl answered the phone, shifting through paperwork. "Sure thing, I'll put you through." Putting the call on hold, she knocked and opened the door to Ms. Darkholme's  office.

             "What?" She asked in a harsh voice; in her office were two of the boys who were usually in there on a daily basis, the one that looked like a frog, Tolanski or other, and Lance Alvers.

            "You have a phone call, line 1. They say it's urgent."

            "Get out of my sight." She said to the two boys, and they left. Ms. Darkholme sat down behind her desk and picked up the phone.

             "Hello?" she said wearily, rubbing the bridge of her nose as if relieving some tension.

            "Raven, I've seen something." She balked, staring at the receiver in her hand. Irene?

             "What?"

            "It's about one of your children."

            "Which one? What do you see?"

            "All I can tell you is that you have to stop your aggressions towards Xavier and his students. If you don't… that child will die."

            "Which child? Damn it Irene, don't be vague on me now… what the hell is going on?!" She shouted into the receiver.

            "The same thing goes for Magneto, so I sincerely hope you'll put aside any plans you have with him."

            "And you think he'd just let me walk away from him?"

            "I've talked to him as well, he is aware of what is at stake. Both your child and his will be dead. He is willing to step away from warfare, if not to stop the death of his child, then of yours." Raven thought back to this with a heavy heart. She did not want to see either Kurt or Rogue hurt, regardless of how she treats them. As for Magneto, she couldn't really care less about Pietro or Wanda… well, maybe Wanda, she was useful…

            "Is there anything else?"

            "When Xavier asks a favour of you, don't refuse."

            "That's it?"

            "That's all I can hope for."

****************

            London waited in the school office, feeling as if she was really a student in trouble, waiting for the principal to yell at her. 

            Well, not really. Ms. Darkholme had called her down to her office to talk about something. She couldn't help but worry that she had done something wrong, that perhaps this had to do with the classes she taught now. They actually weren't as bad as she had thought they would be, except for the fact that whatever Mr. Epps taught the class, she had to un-teach because he was wrong. The students actually seemed interested in what she said, and most of them were doing really well… she hadn't had any troubles yet, except for the fact that the Pietro kid was in it, and was usually glaring at her, or smirking at her as if he knew something she didn't…

            "Ms. Sikorba!" She snapped out of her thoughts to see Ms. Darkholme looming over her. She quickly jumped to her feet and followed her into her office.

            "Your Professor Xavier has asked me to help you with your mutations." London's eyes shot open; how could the principal help her?

             "Begging your pardon, Ms., but I don't understand." Something changed in the principal's eyes, but they went back to their cold hardness an instant later.

            "Have they not taught you anything at that mansion?" She sneered, standing up and walking around the desk. She sat on the edge, in front of her chair.

            "Not really. I just fix their computers."

            "Yes, Xavier told me that much. He also told me that you can change your DNA around, change your shape."

            "Um... well, yeah, but I can't really…"

            "You can't, or you won't?"

            London stared back at her, hardening herself against Darkholme's glare. I am getting nowhere with this, what the hell does she want? 

            "Look, I can't see where you're going with this; how can you help me?" She looked at London, analysing something, before she smiled coldly.

            "I'm a shapeshifter." London stared in amazement as her form changed, her body, clothes, all morphed into a tall, blue skinned woman. Her yellow eyes glowed at her. "You will learn to change your appearance; unless you don't want to, in that case you may as well leave now."

            London looked at her, her thoughts racing. If she knows how, and she teaches me… maybe it won't hurt anymore… it sure didn't seem to hurt her at all when she changed shape…

            "No… I want to," she said, deciding, "If you'll teach me."

            "Then we have a lot to work on. Call me Mystique"

****************

"So where are we going?" London asked as Mystique drove her green convertible down the road.

             "Someplace where we won't be bothered."  London inwardly groaned, since they had left the office, Mystique had said as many words as she could count on her fingers.

            "Am I going to get anything more than that?" 20 bucks she says 'no'.

            "No." 

            "Okay then." She looked out past the car as it drove through a forest. The trees reminded her of home, and home reminded her of Russia and Poland. How did I get myself here? She asked herself. She felt as if she's been everywhere. N'awlins, T.O., Montréal, all throughout Europe… but New York was starting to feel like home. And she had only been there a week, and that thought scared her. I've never stayed in one place long, how much longer can I tolerate here? She did feel grateful for Xavier trying to help her, despite what she had done. She even felt grateful to Mystique, although she hadn't done anything yet.

            "We're here." Mystique said curtly, and London looked up to see where 'here' was. A large house, only a little smaller than Xavier's mansion, was surrounded by woods, and she could see a small lake through the trees to one side of it.

             Mystique led her inside, and they walked through the living room, where a dark haired man sat sketching something on a drawing pad. He looked up as they passed by, and he stared at London with something like recognition in his eyes, before he looked back to Mystique. London had a strange feeling of déjà vu, looking at him. She had seen him before… at the club where she had worked in Toronto! She slowed in step as she passed him, staring. She shook her head as she realized Mystique had already left, and ran out to catch up. 

             Mystique stopped past a study.

            "Eric, we're going to use the training room, make sure we're not disturbed." He only nodded, not even looking up from the notes on his desk. She peered in the room where he was, and stopped dead at the sight of him. 

             "London." Mystique called after her, annoyance flashing in her eyes. London turned, and with one last look at Eric, she followed her down the hall, still shocked. There is no way that that man in there is who I think he is. No way. 

            They entered a large room, sets of weights, various weapons, and a large matted area for sparring or something.

            "Show me what you can do." London just blinked at her.

            "Show you what exactly?" She thought through all the things she could do. There was her singing that she had picked up through Lena, because that was her natural mutation, and… well, they were pretty close.  There was going invisible, that she had learned from one of the mutants in the New Orleans Thieves Guild that she had worked with on her stealth training. Another was her ability to heal others, which she had picked up by accident in a large crowd and had a hard time dealing with the sudden change as it asserted itself rather violently. She shuddered as she remembered being hospitalized after that incident, when she was thirteen. The rest were too random and uncontrolled for her to assert without a lot of time and a lot of pain. And she didn't want t think about actually changing physically.

             "Whatever you want to show me."

            London frowned, but began to concentrate. Mystique watched, fascinated, as the vein tattoos along her body darkened, turning black and almost glowing, before fading back into her body, and their natural tone.

            "That's it?" London inhaled a shaky deep breath, and sung one note, holding it.

             [Mystique looked around; she was in a beautiful park, surrounded by trees and playgrounds. A small girl, with blonde hair in curls, ran up to her, offering her a small daisy. Mystique knelt down, accepting the flower with a small smile. The girl grinned, before running off to the swings.]

             Mystique blinked, and looked down at her hand, where the flower was gone. The whole park was gone, she was still in the training room, and London was looking at her strangely.

            "You did that?" London nodded. "Show me something else." London's veins glowed again, and then she vanished. Mystique turned at a tap on the shoulder. London stood behind her. 

             "Incredible." Mystique murmured, trying to keep her amazement from her voice and expression. London just stood there, waiting for her next orders. "Xavier also says you can heal?" She nodded. 

            "Only others… have a knife?" Mystique frowned slightly, but went to a rack where various weapons were kept. Pulling out a small throwing knife, she walked back and handed it to the girl. She noticed how she took it carefully, as if not wanting to think about it. "You have another target in mind, or should I just show you personally?"

            "It's fine, show me." Mystique held out her arm, and London gripped the knife a little tighter. Her eyes softened as she held the knife over her outstretched forearm.

            "I'm sorry, I can't do it." She turned the knife over and handed it back to her. Mystique rolled her eyes and took it, dragging it against her own forearm, leaving a long red line. Blood slowly started to drip down it. She watched silently as London changed herself again, and closed her eyes. Hovering her hand over her arm, Mystique felt a warmth wash over her skin. When London pulled her hand away, the cut was completely gone, the blood the only evidence that it was there at all. Something grabbed her attention to London's own arm; she flexed it slightly, wincing as she did. Mystique grabbed her hand, pulling up her sleeve to see a long, thin scratch, in the same place that her own cut just was. "That happens sometimes…" London said, blinking as if to clear her vision. Her eyes seemed faraway. "If I get tired, then sometimes all I can do is take it from their body to mine… makes it a little smaller."

            "Still," Mystique was impressed, but she felt a tinge of worry for London, who was breathing a little harder.

            "Can you change yourself, physically?"

            "That's what I need help on." London said quietly. "Every time I try to, all it does is hurt. I can manage small things, sometimes, if I have enough control, but the bigger they are, or the more things I try to do, the worse it gets."

            "Well, how do you do it then? How, exactly, do you change your appearance?"

            "I have to change my DNA." Mystique was silent for a while. When she changed her body, she only changed the atoms and molecules, and she had a feeling that this was a completely different area from her own."

            "How do you get those powers then?"

            "The same way. If I'm around people long enough, or if I touch them and focus, then I can pick up on their DNA sequence. Those powers are really only ones others have, I just copy them." London signed. "The powers are easier to change between, once I learn them properly. But changing my body… if I was to change it wrong, I could end up having a stroke, or… just dying, right? I'm afraid that I'll screw something up… and then there's the fact that whenever I change my actual shape, it hurts like a bitch."

            "Well, then, we'll start small."

****************


	7. Road Trip

Lost Identities 

By Saturnian Blonde

 Standard Questionably Useful Disclaimer: Marvel owns all rights to characters, names, etc. No profit is being made from use of anything. Yet.

 Rating: PG-13

Comments: Ho humm…. I figure today's a good day to post some more chapters… hope you like it, I don't know if I do…..

  Chapter SIX 

            "Come on, you mean to tell me what there's not a single guy here you like?" London lay on her stomach on her bed, groaning at Kitty's refusal to drop the subject of guys and romance. Even Rogue seemed interested in the conversation when it turned to London, although she was sure it was only to keep the conversation off of herself.

            It had been almost a week and a half since she had come to stay at the mansion, and still she felt like it was her first day. She was so nervous sometimes, around groups of people, that she always seemed quiet and shy. When she only had to focus on one person, it was fine. The only person she would strike up a conversation with was Rogue. And she still refused to look most of the teachers in the eyes more than half the time.

            Perhaps it was just that she was still adjusting. That's what she had heard some of the adults say when they thought she couldn't hear. She laughed at the thought. She was more afraid of her powers shifting to someone with a more physical mutation than just the change of scenery. She spent almost half the days she wasn't teaching in the Danger room, running through gene maps and simulations, trying to harness her current DNA, trying to hold off any sudden changes that might sneak up on her. 

            Trying hard not to, she still subconsciously avoided some people when they might have had a change to sneak up on them. Whenever Kurt was in a room, she was always aware of where he was, and could do nothing but try to suppress her own DNA from changing. It was the same with Remy; for some reason, she had to really concentrate to keep from switching to his empathy, or worse, his kinetic charging. Even London was aware that it hindered any thoughts of a social life. But who cares about that? I'm only here for business anyways…

            "For the millionth time, Katherine Pryde: I am not interested in anyone of the male species that I have encountered thus far during my stay here in Bayville." She said slowly, emphasizing her words. "Besides, just because a guy looks hot doesn't mean he's Prince Charming. Look at that Duncan kid that you said Jean went out with. Sure he may be handsome, in a prep-football-player way, but he's got the IQ of a cannoli." 

Not that it mattered to Kitty.

            "Then it's just because you haven't met the right guy then. I know a couple guys in my calculus class that you would die for." She said, fawning over each word dramatically. London rolled her eyes.

            "I have no intentions of dying for anyone." She turned to Rogue, who only sat on her bed with a smug look on her face. "Can't you shut her up?" she only chuckled.

            "Okay then, I know! I'll go get my yearbook from my old school! There's gotta be, like, some guy you like in it!" Kitty jumped out and ran off to fetch the book. As soon as she left the room, London sprang up and ran to the door, locking it.

            "Yah know, she can just phase through that door…" Rogue said, sitting down and picking up her guitar, strumming a few chords absently. London just stared at her, horrified.

            "Is there no end for the torture?" She plopped down on her bed again. "She really that clueless?" Rogue looked up from her guitar, eyebrow raised. "About… well, me and the fact that I don't like guys…"

            "Oh, that…" London marvelled at how uncaring Rogue's voice was. "Kitty ain't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. Either she'll eventually figure it out on her own, or she'll hear a rumour 'bout it. She's definitely one for gossip. I wouldn't worry about it though. Hopefully, the worst you'd have to put up with is her tryin' ta set you up with some guy…"

            Kitty sat in her room, rummaging around for her old yearbook when suddenly it hit her. Why else would London not care about guys? Because she's a lesbian? Nah, she seems way too…. Straight.  She frowned, then ran over to Bobby's room in the Guy's wing. He would know, right? Him or Kurt, because they were in the group that brought her here… or maybe I could ask Jean, because she's psychic.

            "Hey, Bobby, you home?" She knocked on his door, which was open a bit. She peeked her head through the crack.

            "Vhat can ve help you vith?" Kurt asked, working over some homework.

            "You were there when London was found, right?"

            "A-duh." Bobby mumbled.

            "So you know a little what she's like, right?" He frowned a little, looking over at Kurt, who only shrugged his shoulders.

            "Is she… how do I put this gently," She thought for a moment, "Is she gay?" They both stared at her bluntness, wondering where this was leading.

"Vhy, are you afraid of her hitting on you?" Kurt laughed, finally finding something more worthwhile for him to waste his time on.

"No! I mean… well…. Damn, I guess I , like, never thought of that…"

            "Honestly, Kitty, why would that even matter? Does it matter that Kurt has fur?"

            "Hey, chicks dig the fuzzy dude! The muscular arms, the colour of ze soft, silky fur… I'm a babe magnet!" Kurt posed, looking like some kind of odd underwear model. Kitty only raised an eyebrow, staring at him unimpressed. "Oh, never mind." He rolled his eyes, turning back to his copy of Hamlet.

            "But it's just not…. like, right and stuff!" She protested.

            "Kitty, I can't believe you! People hate us because we're mutants, and you hate that right? How is this any different?" Kitty looked at him for a moment, humbled, before her eyes narrowed.

            "YOU like her, don't you?" Her eyes lit up. Bobby stared at her for a moment, before regaining his composure.

            "What ever gave you that idea?" He said, shaking his head. But she was already gone, with a mischievous look to her.

            "Will someone please tell me what's going on?" Kurt patted him on the back.

            "Come on, dude, isn't it obvious? She is so gonna, like, set you up!" He said, waving his hands and doing his best imitation of Kitty. 

            Fuck. "You're kidding me…" he said.

            "Vell, do you even like her?"

            "Well… she's nice, and funny to talk to. She's kinda pretty…"

            "There you go. All you need now is to get to know her."

            "Kurt, she's a lesbian. What would make you think that she'd be interested in me?" Kurt only shrugged his shoulders.

            "Maybe she's bi." Kurt grabbed his books and left the room, leaving Bobby there with a thoughtful look on his face.

            A small, light knock on the door brought Charles out of his reverie. He could tell it was London; everyone else knew that if you wanted attention around this house, you had to be loud about it.

            She opened the door, just peering around it to see if he was there or if anyone else was already talking to him.

            "You can come in if you'd like," he called across the room. She sheepishly closed the door and crossed the room. He could still see that she was nervous when talking to him; in fact, she was nervous when talking to most of the adults. She was very quiet, almost to a point where she could slip in and out of a room almost effortlessly. He had been surprised more than once to find her in the room when he could not sense her. He wondered if that should be something he brought up with her, but decided against it.

            "I need to go back to Toronto." She said, unconsciously wringing her hands. He inwardly sighed. It was impossible to have anything more than a one sided conversation with her unless he used his telepathy to encourage her.

            "Not that I'd like to leave, but I have finished the external perimeter security, and since I'm halfway done the rest of things, I was wondering if I could just take the weekend off, to go back home and tie up a few loose ends."

            "That would be quite fine. Would you be going alone?" Confident though he was that she would return, he was still reluctant to let her go alone.

            "You don't approve?"

            "Why don't you bring a few students along. I promised them that they could have a weekend 'road trip' as they like to put it, and I would be more confident that you would be okay in a bigger group."

            "Who exactly do you have in mind?"

            "Well, I know Kitty was the one asking, but I'd leave it in your discretion as to who you'd like to invite along. Just leave me with a list of everyone that's going, and where you'll be, and I'm sure it will all be acceptable."

            "Okay…. Thanks." That was so much easier than I thought… she said to herself as she excused herself and left his office. But who would I invite? Besides Kitty, and I think I dread that opportunity. Rogue would be okay to come, if I can convince her to go… maybe even Kurt, but I don't know him very well…

            She entered the TV room where Bobby, Kurt and Scott were playing some racing game on the Playstation. Rogue was sitting on the couch a couple feet away, trying to read a book over the other's noise.

            "Rogue, what'cha doin' this weekend?"

            "Hmm, let meh look at mah calendar. Nope, sorry, all full." She said, not lifting her eyes from the book.

            "Road trip?"

            "Just tell meh where and what to pack." She said, throwing the book over her shoulder, conveniently hitting Kurt in the head. London blinked at the sudden shift in attention; she didn't think Rogue would really be into it.

            "I've gotta go back to Toronto to see a few people, and Xavier said I could take some people along. I don't know who to ask, so I thought I'd just let you decide who else."

            "Well, fer starters…. Kitty, because if yah don't let her go, ye'd never hear the end of it. As for the rest of em-"

            "You ov course vant to take me, right?" Kurt asked, bamfing onto the couch beside her and draping his arm over his shoulder. 

            "Sure," London agreed. She had no idea how this was going to turn out, but the only thing that concerned her was seeing Lena once she go there. Lena was pissed off, to say the least, when she'd found out over the phone that she was leaving town for some length of time that she didn't know about. She had tried to call her during the week, but either she wasn't home, or wasn't answering her cell phone. And she knew that she had already been to the meeting for the possible record deal. Both the facts that she had missed the interview and that Lena hadn't told her anything about it had hurt her, and she couldn't help but wonder what was going on with her and their relationship. She looked up.

            "Bobby! You'll come too, right?" She asked, hopeful that she could bring him along as a sane voice to help regulate Kurt. A different part of her laughed at her reasoning, because part of her wanted him along with her. What? I don't think that! He's a friend, nothing more. Besides, she added in a silly voice in her mind, Boys are icky.

"Uh, sure!" he agreed, smiling. Kurt shot him a thumbs up, grinning widely. 

"Great, well, I guess that's settled then." London sighed, looking to Rogue.

            London waited in her SUV for the others to finish packing the back with their luggage. How is it that they can bring along almost three bags each? There isn't gonna be enough room if this keeps up. She groaned. And of course Kitty has been talking of nothing other than shopping all week, so there's even more crap to bring home...

            "Are you guys ready yet?" She called over her shoulder, waiting for the rest of them to finish fighting over who got to sit where.

            Bobby managed to fight for the front shotgun seat, and quickly hopped in, locking the door. London shot him a sideways look from under her sunglasses.

            "I take it you won." He only grinned wider.

            "How come you didn't invite Remy?"

            "You want that alphabetically, or by category?" he shrugged.

            "It doesn't matter anyways, if Mr. LeBeau wants to come, you know he'd find a way to get there himself. I wouldn't be surprised if he manages to show himself at some point this weekend."

            "You're probably right…" They both looked back as both of the back doors shut. Kurt appeared somewhat dejected to be sitting in the middle of the two girls. Kitty looked flustered, and Rogue's hair was a mess. "Wow."

            "Before anyone even says it, Ah call shotgun on the way home." Rogue said, putting on her walkman and crossing her arms, staring darkly out the window. "Yah'd think the one with the poisoned skin would get to sit in the front…"

"Are ve there yet?" Kurt asked, leaning forward to talk to London and Bobby as she started the car. 

            "Kurt, you do know it's gonna take 5 hours to get there…"

            "What???" The chorus cried from the backseat.

            "Oy." London groaned, resting her head against the steering wheel.

            "Shouldn't it take longer than that to get to…"

            "Not the way I drive it doesn't." She grinned somewhat evilly as they pulled out of the mansion and onto the road.

            "I have a question for you," Bobby asked after a while when Kurt had settled into the conversation in the back seat and it was relatively quiet. 

            "Shoot."

            "When we first met –"

            "When you jumped me." She said with a slight laugh. Bobby grinned as well.

            "Okay, when we jumped you… how come you just sort of stopped fighting? And how come you let us come back to your apartment? Most people wouldn't have taken it as lightly as you… well, eventually did."

            She smiled a little, but it faded away as her countenance shifted to an impassive expression while she thought.            

            "I… I don't really know… I could say it was because I knew you wouldn't hurt me, but as soon as I saw Logan all notion of that went flying out the window…"

            "Yeah, he does manage to be pretty intimidating…"

            "Could it possibly be the 9-inch claws?" she said, slightly mockingly. "Nah, he still scares me. Maybe it was Remy, because I've known him… I guess, after the initial shock wore off, then I realized that his friends probably weren't all that bad. Hells bells, Bobby, it could have also been Remy's charming ability, or Jean's Telepathy that made me calm down…all I really knew at the time was that I was caught." She blushed, which made him wonder at the double entente of the words. He looked at her, and was almost taken by how pretty she looked, but reminded himself violently that she was a lesbian. Why is it I always end up 'just being friends' all the time?

            "Are ve there yet?" 


	8. Visits

Lost Identities 

By Saturnian Blonde

Standard Questionably Useful Disclaimer: Marvel owns all rights to characters, names, etc. No profit is being made from use of anything. Yet.

Rating: PG-13

Comments:  See, I can get two in one day! You know, since I kinda like writing and all, if you review, then I'll get some more chapters up…. 

Anyways, I wonder sometimes if I am able to really get Bobby's character right. Can anyone help me with that?

  Chapter SEVEN 

            "So what exactly did you have to come here to do?" Bobby whispered as he stretched his arms before sitting down in a chair. Having drawn straws, Rogue and Kitty had shared the bedroom for the night, and Kurt and Bobby got the pull-out couch in the living room to sleep on. Bobby was the first to wake up, and pulled a chair beside London's small cot by the window. She sat there quietly, wrapped in a comforter and staring out the window.

            "Mostly, only to talk to Lena. I haven't been able to contact her since I left, and I wanted to know how some business deals went."

            "What kind of business? You both sing, right?" London nodded.

            "I never much liked to actually sing for people. It was Lena's idea, and it was an easy way to get some pocket change. Her ability – she's a mutant – is to 'influence and control people's thoughts through audio suggestion' as she always liked to call it."

            "So that's not actually your power, then,"

            "No. I always considered it a form of stealing, so I can't stand to do it, but she convinced me to. I just copy others," she said a little sadly, still not looking away from some small point in the morning sky. "So we formed a group, wrote and composed a few songs, and went to clubs for jobs. It actually worked out, and we were about to meet with someone about a possible record deal. But then I went to New York, and we left on bad terms."

            "Ouch. That sucks." He said, not sure of what else to say. "So are you going to meet her today?" She nodded.

            "I told her to meet me at a club tonight. I also assumed you all would want to come. We'll go hang out there for a while, I'll talk to her, and I guess it goes from there…Kitty will be pleased, I'm sure."

            "Yeah, she'll do anything for a chance to dance the night away," He chuckled, and she hushed him as Kurt shifted in his sleep on the couch.

            "So what about you?" She asked, looking at him. "You like to dance, or you more the wallflower?"

            "Rogue's the wallflower. She's not really one for crowded places."

            "Yeah, I thought of that. I know the owner, he'll look out for her. There are a couple smaller little shops around where we're going, all Goth and punk. He'll let one of the bouncer's go with her. But you didn't really answer my question." She turned around, facing him fully and pulling the blanket around her tighter. "You dance?" He smiled and looked away.

            "Well… a little."

            "Aw, you're so cute when you blush…" she grinned, and their eyes met. She held her gaze a little longer on his ice-blue eyes. He looked right back at her.

            "You know… your eyes are weird…" He blushed and added when confusion flashed through her, "I don't mean in a bad way… one's green, the other's purple…" She looked shocked, and grabbed her purse from beside the bed. Pulling out a small compact, she held it up to her face. 

            "They're… you're right…" She looked at them for a moment, confused still, before setting the mirror aside. "They haven't done that before."

            "Changed colour?"

            "Nah, they do that pretty often. But they've never been to colours before…" He got up and knelt before her, looking at them closer.

            "I think they're pretty. Certainly different, but not something as drastic as Remy's eyes, either." She smiled at that, and giggled. They suddenly noticed how close they were; London could feel his breath on her cheeks and blushed. He pulled away, an apology silently showing in his eyes.

            They were saved from any other awkward conversation when the bedroom door opened and Rogue walked out, already changed and with her makeup.

            "How did you sleep?" London asked as Rogue poured herself a glass of water from the kitchen sink. 

            "Fine. I don't think Kitty can say the same, though." She grinned widely, a somewhat disturbing sight. "I made her sleep on the floor."

"Are you guys ready yet?" London called from the bedroom door, waiting for Rogue and Kitty to get dressed so they could go.

"Just a minute! I don't know whether to wear the yellow shirt or the pink!" Kitty cried out, rummaging through the hoards of shopping bags she had picked up during the day.

"Like, what do you think?" She stood up, holding up a pink strapless shirt and a pale yellow peasant top.

"The yellow." Kitty held them up to the mirror, and must have seen what London meant, for she quickly threw it on. Checking her hair one last time, she grabbed her purse and headed for the door.

"Come on, Rogue, we're leaving…" London pleaded. Rogue stepped out of the bathroom.

"Wow, I knew that shirt would be great for you!" Rogue wore what almost seemed to be her usual outfit, but London had insisted that she try on a chiffon top she had seen in a vintage store. Over her usual tank top she only wore a thin shirt with long sleeves and a hood. It even had short gloves that could be pulled back into the sleeves. 

"Ah still think ah look almost naked in it."

"Pff, only because you can see your skin through the shirt. You're fully clothed, so you're safe. It looks great!"

"Ah'll have to take your word for it." They left for the living room, and as soon as Rogue stepped through the door, Kurt whistled at her.

"Looking' good Rogue." Bobby commented. 

"See, I told you it's great! Now lets go!" London urged them through the door. Bobby tried to hide a smile at London. She looked greater than Rogue. Her hair was twisted back into a simple butterfly clip, and her white shirt's transparent back displayed the vast network of vein-tattoos that seemed to spread all over her body. I wonder, do those veins go everywhere? He shook his head as if to rid himself of those thoughts, and picked up his jacket. She waited for him to leave to lock the door, and they left for the club.

"Are you sure there, like, won't be a problem with us getting in?" Kitty asked as they walked down the streets. "We're not of age, and Jean's not exactly here to convince the bouncers to let us in…"

"Don't worry, Kitty. I know the bouncer, and the club we're going to does let minors in." She pulled her coat closer, and pulled up the hood over her head.

"Oh, I can't wait to dance, there will be lots of hot guys, right?"

"Yes, Kitty," she said, shooting an exasperated grin at Rogue. They approached the door to the club, heading right up past the line-up of people already waiting. 

"Hold it," One of the bouncers, a large African-American man a good couple feet taller than London, called from the stool by the door. "And where do you think you're going, Miss?" Kitty visibly recoiled from the man, but London only laughed. 

"Inside."

"There's only one thing that'll get you in that club." London rolled her eyes playfully and pulled her hood down. She quickly pecked him on the cheek.

"Nice seeing you again, Annika."

"You too, Bruno." She walked again to the doors, gesturing them along. Kitty paused at the Bruno. 

"Do we have to, like, kiss you too to get in?" She asked, and Bruno laughed hard, smiling. London only grabbed her arm and pulled her along.

"Honestly, Kitty, I wonder that you're not a blonde in disguise sometimes." London said as she handed their coats over to the coat check.

"Shugah, we all wonder at that." Rogue remarked dryly.

"So where can I find you?" Kitty asked, eagerly eyeing the dance floor. "Don't worry, we'll find you. Have a good time. You want anything to drink, talk to the bartender and mention 'Annika', he'll get you anything." Kitty shrieked in excitement and ran off to the dance floor, Kurt being pulled along behind him. 

"Is it safe here? I mean, from…"

"Don't worry. This is a pretty safe place. You saw the size of the bouncers, and there's two at the door, one at the bar, and four more scattered around the club. If there's any trouble, which there won't be, it'll be fine. You could probably cough and one of them would make sure you're okay…"

"Alright. Bobby, wanna come get a drink?" Bobby looked to her, and she nodded.

"Go ahead, I'm gonna look for Lena. If you don't want to dance, upstairs on the balcony there's also some gaming rooms, there's probably a game of poker or something you could join in." They disappeared, and London scanned the crowd. She gasped as she saw Lena standing on the stairway, nursing a glass of alcohol and talking to another girl.

"Right." She said, making her way over to the stairs. "Lena!" she called, and she turned, frowning when she saw London. Something was up, that much she could tell. And from the looks of her, she had been drinking. She came down the stairs

"Ah, Annika," she said, taking another sip of her drink. "How nice of you to stop by." Contempt dripped off her voice as she approached her. 

"I've been trying to get a hold of you since I left, what's going on?"

"Well, life passes by, but I guess you wouldn't know, since you're all settled down in New York now." She wobbled a bit on her feet, but steadied herself.

"Lena, how much have you drank?" She took the glass from her hands, setting it on a table beside them.

"Doesn't matter! We're here to celebrate! I don't know how your 'job' in the States is going, but we just got another one, and are here to party!" The girl she had been talking to on the stairs walked up to them, and Lena slung her arm around her waist.

"Annika… this is Richelle."

"Wait—you got the job?" Lena smiled smugly, throwing her blonde hair over her shoulder.

"Yupp, me and Richelle are now the newest group signed to Wind-Up Records."

"You and Richelle?" London repeated, confused. Lena leaned towards her, almost falling over. 

"That's right. When you left me, I had to find someone else to take your place. And it turns out, Richelle here can actually sing, instead of just stealing other's abilities… they loved us, and signed us. And," she feigned disappointment, "Oh, I guess that means you're out on your own. Sorry."

Lena pulled Richelle away, pausing only to kiss the other girl in front of London, leaving her staring after them.

            Rogue leaned against the bar, occasionally talking to the bartender, whose name was either Jake or Luke, she couldn't tell from his accent. Bobby had left to go find the others, and Rogue was trying to figure out why she didn't go find the bouncer Bruno to take her shopping, like he had promised her. Maybe it was the music, which Rogue was surprised to find that she didn't mind it. It wasn't her usual style, but there was a lot of Techno and Rave, which she was at least beginning to appreciate at this volume. It sure wasn't the company, but she actually didn't mind being by herself.

            "Would chère care t' honour dis homme wit' a dance?" Rogue spun around to see Remy leaning against the bar beside her, grinning down at her.

            "Remy! What are yah doin' here?"

            "Perhaps lookin' fo' a mademoiselle étonnante t'danse with?" He offered a hand to her, and she accepted it, letting him pull her towards the floor.

            "No, really, what are yah doin' here? Ah thought you were supposed to go down to N'awleans for something?"

            "Remy finish his business early so he could be with his chère."

            Rogue couldn't find anything to say to that.

            A hand came down on London's shoulder, scaring her and whirling around. She gasped as she saw Bobby. The smile he had disappeared slowly as he looked at her.

            "Are you okay?" he asked, looking her over. Her eyes looked scared and shocked, and he could safely guess it was from what ever Lena had said to her. 

            "Yeah, I'm fine," she said, turning her head slightly and bowing her head. Her voice wobbled slightly from something, and he pulled her chin up to face him.

            "No, you're not," he could see the tears lining her eyes, hovering there, waiting to fall. He pulled her over to a table in a corner, and sat her down.

            "What happened?" She was silent, looking down at her folded hands in her lap.

            "Nothing. Really, it's nothing. I'm sorry." He stared at her, and she finally looked up. She smiled. "Don't worry about it. I was just shocked for a second."

            "You look awfully pale, you sure you don't want to go back to your place?"

            "You know, I think I should." She slowly got up, and they headed towards the doors, on the lookout for Kitty, Kurt, or Rogue.

            "Kitty!" She caught her eye and waved her over.

            "London, this place is great, I love it!" She said, her face flushed.

            "Told you so. I'm going to head back to my apartment, you can stay here as long as you like."

            "Are you sure you don't want us to come with you?" Her face turned worried, and she glanced to Bobby, who only shook his head.

            "I'll head back with her." London looked at him, questioningly, but he insisted on going with her. She eventually gave up.

            "You'll never guess who I saw here!" Kitty exclaimed. "Remy!"

            "You're kidding." London looked around for any sight of him, and Kitty pointed to where he and Rogue were dancing in a far corner of the club. "Huh. Stranger things have happened…" When you want to leave, just get them, or at least tell them if you go. Talk to Bruno, he'll walk you home as well, or call a taxi for you."

            "Are you sure?"

            "Yes, yes. I'm positive. You're having a great time, party on, girl." Kitty grinned and went back to Kurt, who was dancing with a very pretty girl. London turned back to Bobby, opening her mouth to ask something.

            "Before you even ask, yes, I'm going back with you. I can't have you walking home alone only to get jumped by some mugger or something." He said as they walked to grab their coats.

            "I wouldn't get jumped," she said laughingly, "Not without my favourite fuzzy blue mugger."

            They left, briefly stopping so that London could ask Bruno and another bouncer to watch her friends and make sure they got home. Tightening her coat around her, pulling the hood up, they walked back to her apartment. Bobby wanted to break the silence, but he wasn't sure how; there clearly was something on her mind, and he could see it hurt her.

            "What did Lena say to you?" He finally asked as they crossed the street. London looked away, and was silent. He kicked himself mentally, and put his arm around her shoulder. She turned to him, looking him in the eye.

            "I don't know what to think about what she said." London softly whispered. "It was clear that she was drunk… but she has the ability to imbibe large amounts of alcohol and say exactly what she means to say regardless." She pulled out her keys and unlocked the lobby door to the apartment complex, smiling pleasantly at one of the inhabitants she knew as they passed. "She said things that I guess are along the lines of 'Thanks for not being there, I've found someone else to take your place.'" She swallowed, rubbing her head. She unlocked the door and led him into the apartment, turning on the lights and throwing her coat and purse over a chair.

            "She actually said that?" He gaped at her. "What did she mean, exactly, when she said 'take your place'?"

            "She meant that she wanted nothing to do with me, I guess. She had some other girl hanging off her shoulder like a lost puppy. She meant," her voice cracked, and she walked to the window, unable to look at him, "To take my place in the band, in her life, and in her bed."

            London walked slowly over to her cot, sitting down on it and leaning against the wall, staring at some spot outside. Bobby sat down beside her, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her into a hug. She just lay there, not crying, not thinking, just waiting for the tears to come, until she fell asleep against his chest.

Ha ha ha…. Poor girl.


	9. Zombies

Lost Identities 

By Saturnian Blonde

Standard Questionably Useful Disclaimer: Marvel owns all rights to characters, names, etc. No profit is being made from use of anything. Yet.

Rating: PG-13 (wow, my rating's almost justified with some of the language I use!)

Time: I've said it before, this is definitely an Alternate Universe, cause I've changed enough things to make it so. It takes place roughly a year after DoR, and then a little more. It combines more aspects of the movie than the comics, but since I try to keep it more X:Evo, that's what I put it under. I have taken the liberty of ageing the characters (some) a little bit, so I'll clarify:

Jean, Scott, Remy: 20

London: 20

Bobby, Rogue, Kurt, Kitty, Evan: 19

Jubilee, Amara, and the others: 17

Logan, the Professor, etc. : Lord knows, it's impolite to ask. Old, lets say.

Chapter Eight 

Bobby woke up late in the night, or early, much before the sun would even think of rising. It took him a moment to remember where he was, and as soon as he did, his thoughts slipped to London. He looked to her bed to find it was empty, but before he looked any further he saw her on the balcony, sitting on the railing looking out to the city.

He opened the door, waiting for her to turn to see who it was before he walked outside. _The last thing I need is to scare her and have her fall, right?_ She looked startled that he was up, and either alarmed or pleased that he was only wearing pyjama pants. He leaned against the railing, looking out past her.

"I don't think I should insult your intelligence by asking what time it is…" he began. She shook her head. She only wore her nightgown, a long white dress that blew in the breeze, and a matching scarf around her neck. The sky was only beginning to lighten, making her skin seem ghostly white and the veins a stark contrast to her beauty. She seemed beautiful, in an ethereal sense, like she might disappear at any moment.

"I couldn't sleep." She whispered. Her eyes were puffy and red, and he placed his hand over hers.

"Want to talk about it?" He offered, and she shook her head calmly.

"There's nothing to say, really. It happened, these things do." She looked back out over the skyline.

"Okay, would you mind coming down from there, its really starting to make me worry…." She laughed, smiling lightly, and carefully climbed away from the edge. "Thank you… I don't know, it's something about being on the 14th floor, I guess…"

"Well, would you like some breakfast?" She asked, moving to head inside.

"At 4 in the morning?" She paused, turning back to him.

"Yeah, I guess it is a little early." She sheepishly hung her head and sat down on a chair. He looked at her, trying to figure her out.

"How do you do that?" he asked at length. She looked up.

"What?"

"Change the subject so easily. Just seem to push the bad things away," he leaned forward, leaning on his knees. For a moment, she looked abashed; like a child caught stealing from the cookie jar, she searched for an answer.

"I don't know. I guess it's just the way I work. How do you think I got a degree from a university at 18? I just remember facts and things easily. But I don't remember emotions, memories… unless they're really important to me, I'll just as soon forget them. It's my own little way of dealing."

"So given, say, a month or two, you won't remember anything that happened?"

"Usually it takes longer. I just choose what I want or don't want to remember."

"So, if you ever leave the mansion, would you remember the people in it?"

"Sure, but perhaps only how each person made me feel."

"Would you forget… someone you admire?" London wondered at his little game, but grinned and played along.

"Probably not. I'd remember faces, smaller details about them."

"Would you forget… me?" She looked up at him, her eyes fixed in his blue orbs. They sat there, each afraid to look away.

"No…" She said softly. "No, I'd never forget you." She paused, and grinned. "God, that sounded corny…" He laughed as well.

London let Bobby drive home, despite protests from Kitty that she wanted to, and agreeing with Rogue on protests against Kitty driving. Sitting idly in the back seat, drumming her fingers against her knees, she couldn't help but think about last night.

Disbelief being foremost on her mind. _How could Lena act like that? She never once said anything about how she felt… she encouraged me to borrow her powers to get our group further along. Maybe it was just the alcohol… she's always been a cheap drunk._ She sighed, then berated herself, hoping the others didn't turn from their conversations to notice her melancholic mood.

_I have this nagging feeling like I should be more upset,_ she thought as she watched the passing trees. The leaves were just unravelling, making it look more and more like spring. _I mean… yeah, okay, right when I heard I was a little shell-shocked. After that I was hurt, and frustrated…now, I just feel bitter that she… well, did she use me, or did I use her? It's empty, indifferent. Why don't I feel anything?_

Something landed in her lap, a crumpled up piece of paper. She stared at it, trying to figure out why it seemed so out of place. She looked over, to see Bobby and Kurt in the front seat talking away about some upcoming hockey playoff – _as if, the Leafs are gonna take it -,_ and Kitty was asleep in the middle of her and Rogue…

Rogue. She sat looking out the window, seemingly oblivious to everything. London would have believed it, were it not for the notebook on her lap and the pen in her hand. She looked over, smiling innocently. London unfurled the note.

'Sorry for the waste of paper, but there's no way in hell ah want ta wake up the cheerleader.' London looked back over. Kitty was fast asleep, and after the way she complained about not being allowed to drive, London felt inclined to agree with Rogue.

'And ah'd rather keep this between the two of us. Wonderin' if ya could help meh wit' something…" It ended, and London dug around her purse for something to write with.

'Shoot.' She wrote back, casually bouncing the ball of paper off Kitty's head into Rogue's lap. Her eyes widened as Kitty shifted, but remained asleep. London turned to looking back out the window, feeling slightly nostalgic already as they passed the Border to the States.

A couple minutes later, the same wad of paper bounced off her nose, startling her again.

'Well, I was thinking. Since you know a lot about genetics and stuff, and since ah'd rather talk to you than the Professor or Hank, I was wondering if you could hopefully explain some stuff to me.'

'Sure, what do you want ta know? (nice aim, by the way…)' She replied, playfully throwing it back at Rogue's head.

'Well, mostly, I was wonderin' if ya could help me with mah own powers. You have no idea how much ah want ta learn control, and I think you're the one to go to for control lessons…plus, ah think everyone else ah could possibly ask would be too condescending to be of any use.'

'Well, sure, I guess I could. It shouldn't be that hard. We could start just by… hmm… you know, I'll explain it later, but I think I know where we can start…'

'Thank ya thank ya thank ya! Oh, ah should warn ya… the Professor's been askin' about how you got captured and stuff… with Trask and all. Ah know that he's asked Logan, and me and Evan, too. Ah haven't told him, and Evan doesn't know much, but I know he's curious about it.'

"_What?_" she whispered, leaning over Kitty.

"It's true. He's been asking us who were captured, and I think he was soon gonna ask Fred, too." London sat quiet for a while, and Rogue left her alone to her thoughts. 

London hadn't thought about Trask in a long time, but despite her best efforts and horrendous memory, she hadn't been able to put those memories out of her mind. She felt _guilty_. That place was the only thing she ever regretted.

A new ball of paper landed in her lap, and she eyed it carefully before hesitantly opening it.

'Ah swear ah'd never tell a soul, if you need someone to talk ta. Ah was there, ya know.' The corner of her mouth quirked, and she picked up her pen, reminding herself to breathe before she put it to paper.

'I was hired there as a geneticist, mainly because the pay was good. They never realized I was a mutant, and I wasn't exactly going to tell them, the world being as it is. It was almost a month before I was actually asked to do 'lab' work, and as soon as I realized what that exactly was, I wanted out. Even being a thief and having no conscience, there was no way I could have thought about ever doing any of the stuff Trask did. The first time I was in the lab, I saw what they were doing to Fred, how they were testing his constitution, his indestructibility. I felt so bad for him, but there was nothing I could do. It was two days before I was able to sneak into the cell blocks with some painkillers. When I saw how bad he was, I had to do something. I knew how to heal, and I tried to heal him as best as I could…but you saw the rest…'

Rogue read and reread the note, remembering herself. Indeed, she knew the rest. She was one of the only ones to actually see her heal Fred, before two night watchmen spotted her. She tried to lie her way out of it, but there was no mistaking the pale glow of her hands as she pulled the high fever out of Fred's body. They dragged her out, and Rogue thought she'd never be seen again, until a week later London finally returned, comatose. It was two days before she regained consciousness after that, and she hadn't spoken a word after that, until the day they escaped.

'How come ya never left with us?'

'My-' and she paused before she wrote the word, '_friend_ was in another cell-block, and I had to make sure she got out too. The one I met yesterday in Toronto.'

'Do you not want the Professor ta know all that? It really ain't all that bad. Hell, he made us have therapy sessions for months after, and ya just left.'

'With my reputation, and remember the first time the rest of them met me was because I broke into Hank's computer database, I don't think it'll be of much help. Besides, it's been, what-' and she counted on her fingers, 'over a year since all that happened… what's the point?'

"Suit yoahself." She said aloud, unafraid of the others listening in or caring anymore. "We're home," she said, seeing the gates of the Institute.

"Finally," Kitty said sleepily as she rubbed her eyes. "I can't wait to, like, get out and stretch and stuff."

"I can't vait for food!" Kurt said, bamfing out of the car, leaving dark smoke inside.

"Kurt!" Rogue cried, coughing and fanning the smoke out the window. "When ah get mah hands on that little…"

            "Enjoy your little vacation?" Principal Darkholme asked as she entered the empty classroom Monday morning. London sat on a desk, grading marks for quizzes and waiting for her so they could begin.

            "So much, you have no idea. Think I could have skipped the whole thing entirely." She said, putting the stack of paper aside.

            "Get any practice?" She shook her head. "Well, since you still can't change shape without passing out, we should try something else." London grinned a little, even through the insult.

            "See if you can mimic my powers, and we'll see if it's easier to just change the outside, not the DNA."

            London got off the desk, standing a foot away from her. As soon as she prepped herself up mentally, she reached out for Mystique's arm. Just touching it lightly, Mystique watched as the veins on her hands flared, growing darker as they slowly spread up her arm. By the time the markings were solid all up her arm and through her neck and face, a light tingling spread through her touch, like an electric spark, tickling her. When London pulled away, her eyes closed still, the feeling receded from Mystiques arm, and she waited for any response from the shorter woman. She finally looked up after a minute had passed.

            "Okay." She said, a little breathless. "I don't know how long I can hold it, this is really new to me."

            "Think about something to change; something small, like the colour of your eyes. Imagine it being that colour, and then try to make it so."

            London tried to think of her eyes being a different colour, blue being the first she could think of. She had a feeling that this was really different from the way she was used to doing it, going from actually changing the make-up of the eyes, to just changing how it looks. _It's kinda like rearranging things to make it that colour… I'm not trying to change the base of it, then have it shift itself to match it._ When she was satisfied that she had accomplished it – _I hope -_, she opened her eyes and looked up at Mystique.

           "Well, it's a start." She said, raising her eyebrows. Grabbing a mirror from her pocket, she handed it over to London.

            "Holy Tap Dancing Jebbus Buddy Christ!" She swore, staring at the reflection.

            "Oh, are we bringing out the big words now?" Mystique groaned, crossing her arms.

            "Are you kidding? My eyes look like they've been drawn in by a two year old with a crayon!" Her eyes, while a vibrant blue, were solid blue. No iris, no pupil, just two solid blue eyeballs.

            "You expected any better? This is your first time…"

            "Yeah, but still, I didn't expect them to look _that_ bad…" she said, groaning as she handed back the mirror.

            "You just have to realize that it isn't just colour that appears. Next, is the rest of your eyes. Then, you start having to detail them, blend them together till it actually looks like an eyeball, not a small child's drawing."

"This is going to be a long day, isn't it?"

            "Is the Pope Catholic?"

            By the time London got back to the Mansion, she had a whole new admiration for teachers. _Well, not really_, she thought, but she did pity them for having to put up with all the crap they did. She pitied herself even more for having to pretend to be a teacher to put up with all the crap they did.

            She dropped her bag by the door, shuffling along into the living room, where Evan, Kurt and Bobby were setting up what appeared to be a Playstation to what appeared to be the TV.

            "The set-up can't be as complicated as you three make it seem to be." She commented as she dropped into a chair, hanging her legs over an arm.

            "Well, I'm sure it wouldn't have been if _someone,_" Evan growled, glaring at Kurt, "hadn't lost the English Instructions!"

            "Hey! It vasn't my fault! I handed dem to you!" Kurt retorted, crossing his arms.

            "Then why don't I have them?"

            "Boys!" London cried over their shouting. "Do you have _any_ instructions?"

            "Ve are guys! Ve don't need no panzy instructions!" Kurt argued, trying to maintain his macho image. Which failed, considering the plastic wrapping was stuck to his fur with static cling.

            "Besides, the only sheets we have are the wanker French instructions!" The room went silent long before Evan had even finished the sentence, London glaring at him, one eye raised curiously.

            "But, em… that is, they… well, don't get me …um-"

            "London, since you are the nicest, prettiest, smartest, oldest-in-a-good-way, wittiest girl here….." London rolled her eyes in disgust.

            "Just gimme the instructions."

            "Right-o, Boss Lady." Bobby handed them over. Five minutes later, they finally had the system hooked up properly.

            "Alright, and welcome to the 2nd annual Game Fest, the most exciting, thrill-packed contest of smarts, wits, hand-eye co-ordination, and thumb dexterity on the face of the Earth!"

            "Spare me." London moaned.

            "London, you gonna join? You've been bragging all week over how you could beat me, gonna chicken out now? I can understand if you're scared…"

            "Bring it on, pussy!" She said, raising her face and staring him down.

            "Kurt if you will, choose this year's first official Game!" London watched, slightly amused as Kurt made a big show of reaching into a paper bag and drawing a game out of it.

            "Dis year, the round one Cup will be played to the tune of… Resident Evil!" The guys went wild as London sat there, trying to understand what he had just said.

            "Resident… evil?" she repeated, meekly.

            "Yeah, only the best action-horror game on the face of… well, maybe on this side of the globe. You'd love it, London, all the blood, gore, killer-viruses, flesh-eating zombies…" Evan continued on through his semi-accurate description of the plot, but London couldn't listen as she watched the opening intro of the game.

            "I gotta get out of here!" She said, getting up to leave, but Kurt ported on top of her.

            "And vhere do you think you are going?"

            "Anywhere but here! There is no way you are getting me to play _that_ game! Now get off of me!" She yelled, trying to push him off.

            "What, are you scared?"

            "_No_." she tried to spit it out, but she couldn't keep the doubt from her voice.

            "You are!" Evan said, laughing. You're afraid of a little video game!"

            "I am not." She said, but saw the sceptical faces, as well as the crowd of younger students who were watching the display. "I'm NOT! Fine, start your game." She told them, finally managing to twist out from under Kurt. Sitting up as straight as she could, she tried to look fine as the game started, and the on-screen characters entered the abandoned mansion. _Don't let them see you're scared, girl, _ she tried telling herself as Evan seemed to whiz through the large, elaborate rooms. _It's just a coincidence that the mansion in the game looks frighteningly like the one you're in. And that Kurt, when he's hanging from walls and ceilings, looks an awful lot like those Hunters… with large teeth, and claws..._ She shut her eyes as soon as the first zombie appeared on screen. _And then they get to the lab. Even more looking like the med-lab downstairs. Or like Trask's laboratory._

"Hey, no fair, you have to watch!" Bobby said, pinching her. She opened them, watching edgily as she shuddered._ You know… Rahne in her canine form looks a lot like the dogs infected with the virus… minus the bits of flesh handing off their bodies__…_ _dead, decaying wolves…_

_            "_That's it! I can't sit here!" She cried, jumping up and running out before either of the guys could grab her back into her seat.

            "Man, what's eating' her?" Evan asked, half-heartedly, not even tearing his eyes off the screen. The others shrugged, in the same mindless state, until Kurt paused the game.

            "I've got a great idea for a joke…"

London stared furiously at the alarm as it blinked 1:57am. She trembled every time she tried to close her eyes, unable to get rid of the picture of zombies coming in the bedroom door and trying to eat her. She told herself it was impossible, improbably, and just plain stupid, but it wouldn't get the images out of her head. 

She finally got up, unable to close her eyes even for the slightest moment. Throwing on her hooded sweatshirt, she made sure she had her bracelet (Logan was on watch tonight, and there wasn't any impulse to be impaled on his claws tonight more than any other), and tiptoed past Rogue's sleeping form, closing the door silently. Heading downstairs, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, trying to adjust to the dark. She thought she heard something behind her, and paused to see what it was.

"Logan? That you?" she whispered, heading towards the noise. She tried to calm herself, stop the shaking in her hands, but she couldn't as recurring images of that _damned video game_ kept popping back into her mind. When she didn't hear any more noise, she turned back to the kitchen to get a glass of water.

As she disappeared down the hall, two heads popped out from behind a pillar.

"Kurt… you ready for this?" Bobby's voice whispered through the darkness.

"I can't vait to see ze face she makes…" He murmured back from his perch on the ceiling.

"Just make sure you don't run into Logan. You better hurry, man, she'll be coming back soon!" Evan hurried him along, and the quiet sound of his departure left the two boys alone in the dark, waiting for Kurt's return. The silence hung over the mansion as they two began to get nervous.

"What's taking him so long?"

A shrill, painful scream pierced through the silence, coming out of the kitchen, followed by a bamf right beside the two. They looked to see Kurt turn off his image inducer, which they had reprogrammed with data from their video game to show the image of a zombie. 

"You should have seen her face!"

            London poured herself a glass of water, leaning against the counter as she sipped it. She thought she smelled brimstone, but shook it off as Kurt's 1 am snack. _Or maybe the 2 am… matter of fact, he almost does it every hour. _She still couldn't shake the feeling that at any moment, the mansion would turn into some haunted house of horrors. She mentally slapped herself, shaking her head as if to rid herself the thoughts. _Come on, London. You're 20 and still scared of the monsters you've had since you were 7. Grow up._

She heard something like scraping, and her heart jumped into her throat. _Get a grip!_ She thought, setting her glass down and looking around the corner of the hall. The emptiness almost made her wish there was someone there, or at least that dawn would come a little sooner. 

            "There's no one there, silly. No people. No monsters…" she said, turning back to pick up her glass and head to the danger room for a simulation or two. Maybe if she saw Logan she would invite him, see if he could help her more with her self-defence.

            A hand on her shoulder startled her, and she slowly turned, thinking – _oh, who am I kidding, I HOPE!- _ it was only Logan.

She gasped as she saw the person behind her. Her vision flashed back to the nightmares she had as a kid. She could see monsters creeping towards her, slimy tentacles, bloody hands. It turned back to the kitchen, with a person – _a zombie!-_ grabbing her shoulders. 

She was aware of a piercing scream ringing in her ears, and it took her a moment to realize it was her own voice. Her heart suddenly contracted, as if her whole chest had exploded, and before she knew it, it was gone, in a pouf of smoke and a familiar noise that she should have been able to remember.  Her heart continued to send waves of shock through her body, but after a couple seconds, her mind registered that it wasn't just her fear and shock… something was wrong. Terribly wrong. _And it hurt real bad, too._

She collapsed in a wave of pain, coursing through her rib cage until it blossomed through her entire nerve networks. Grasping for her chest, her throat, her heart, she looked for any sign that something was wrong, but still the pain kept floating through her. Her chest felt like it was being squeezed; every breath she took was like liquid fire, her bones stabbing into her lungs.

She idly wondered as her vision turned to a blinding whiteness whether the pain would ever go away.

Logan heard the scream first with his sensitive hearing, and guessing it came from the back porch, he ran around the house, looking for any danger. When he didn't see or hear anything, he relaxed, until he smelt blood from the kitchen. He entered cautiously, but hearing the shallow wheezes of something – or someone- he peered around the centre island.

            _Logan, what is the trouble?_

 He knelt down slowly beside London, who was doubled over and coughing, clutching her chest. 'Chuck, send Hank down here, on the double, something's wrong with London,' he thought at the Professor, turning back to her. The coughs were increasing, and as she pulled away her hand from her mouth, he could see the blood. He gently reached out to touch her arm, but the moment he made contact with her skin – no, her markings- he felt the same pain throughout his chest that she did. Snatching her hand away from him, he blinked as the lights turned on, and he looked up to see Hank, Jean and Ororo enter the kitchen.

            "My stars…" Hank was taken aback at the sight, and quickly rushed to her side.

            "Don't touch her veined skin; it's like she's sending what she feels through contact."

            "London! What is wrong? London?" He tried to ask her, but she pulled away from his hovering hand, one hand doing it's best to hold herself up, the other trying to contain her pain against her chest.

            "It hurts…" she whimpered, tears streaking her face. "I can't make it stop!" She teetered before collapsing against Hank's furry arms, his fur stopping the transfer of her own pain to him. 

            "It's her chest, or her lungs or something. When I touched her, I could feel what she felt." He held his hand against her skin again, feeling the same suffering coursing through him. He tried to bear it, but even he had to pull away after a moment.

            "Jean, can you ask her?" Jean's brows furrowed, trying to talk to London, but all she could sense was a strong wall around her mind.

            "She's shielding me…" She tried coaxing London through the wall, to let her in, but as soon as she got near the wall she, too, could feel the pain she felt. She wobbled on her feet, Ororo steadying her. Then she felt London pull her psyche along the wall before kicking her right out again. But not without some surface impressions.

            "It's her ribs, she thinks they've shattered. One feels like it's punctured her lung. She can't gain control enough to stop it. Her emotions are all over. She's afraid for some reason. Terrified."

            Hank tried to rouse London, who had stilled considerably against him, but she didn't respond. Her breathing was shallow and weak.

            "Get her to the med lab." Hank said, the urgency in his voice undisguised. He was on the verge of panic. Jean lifted her up, floating her almost at a run as they rushed her down to the lower levels.

            "Do you know what happened?" Ororo asked Logan, who sniffed the room.

            "No. But I got a feeling we already know who to ask."

Wow… and you should thank me, this is a long chapter, too! So what do you think? I really want to have the main romance as London and… Bobby? But I really don't know how to draw his character. I think he's kinda either A) the next little Scott, or B) the next prankster. It's divided. What do you say? And don't worry, there will be some Rogue/Remy in later chapters…


	10. Pain

Lost Identity

Chapter Nine

London felt as if she was wrapped in warmth and darkness. Her mind felt wrapped in cotton, as if she was deeply asleep. Slowly things in her mind start taking shape as her senses slowly started to come back to her. Was it early? Late?   She couldn't shake the nagging feeling in the back of her mind that something's not right. Did she oversleep?

Her mind still felt clouded, fuzzy. She tried to think back to what she last did, but it wouldn't come to her. Was she working? No, Professor Xavier had given her the day off; there were no new scheduled upgrades until Remy came back with the parts and circuitry she needed.

She had just come back from Toronto. Lena had broken up with her. Drunkenly broken up with her. They had driven back. She had gone to bed. She was thirsty and had gone to get a drink of water. In the kitchen, she turned around and

Burst. There was a great shock, a shattering in her chest. She was scared, and the pain wouldn't stop as she tried and tried to control it.

_Why can't I move?_ She couldn't feel or see or hear, and the fear and memories just kept coming. She writhed, trying to move, to find a way out of this horrible nothingness.

_Calm down, I'm here. Centre yourself. It's all right._

Xavier. It couldn't be anyone else. Like a slight pressure, his mind is reassuring but she still can't fight the hysteria that is threatening her.

"Wha-?" she tried to speak, and couldn't.

Calm down. This is all in your mind. Hank gave you painkillers and sedatives. They're blocking your senses. Hank says that you may come out of it in a few hours. Your mind is active, but your body needs its rest. It's had a rough time.

"But what about… how can I fix this if I'm stuck in this limbo?"

We are working on that. Hank and Jean have stabilized your body for now. Can you tell me what happened last night?

She paused, conjuring up images of what happened – not only the scare, but the changes in the rest of her body – and tried to display them so what the Professor could see them. 

I will inform the doctor of what happened. Try and rest – you'll need your strength to help us reverse the damage later on.

And just like that he was gone. And she felt very alone, and very worried.

After a long while, the light seemed to return, shining directly in her eyes this time, flashing from eye to eye. She closed her eyes until she thought it was gone, and was startled to see a bright blue mass over her head, waving a flashlight. She tried to say something, but as soon as she tried to speak, she felt something down her throat.

_London, do you know where you are?_

She tried moving again, becoming scared and confused, but strong hands held her down against her thrashing.

Please, don't panic. It's Charles Xavier. Do you understand me?

"Please, can I get out of here? I feel fine, really, and I want out of this… this nothingness…"

Soon, comes his gentle reply. I'm talking with Hank right now. Do you feel more awake now? She tried her best to send an affirmative. Good. Jean and me are here, shielding your mind from your body's senses. We are going to try to proceed.

London felt wary now, worried. What is really going on? She tried to feel around her, trying to figure out what could be damaged.

_Stop that. _ Jean's voice sounded a little harsh in her mind. Different. Then the professor came back, trying to calm London's agitated nerves. _If you keep up that thrashing, Hank will just sedate you again. Please, _and now her voice sounded softer, gentler, _try to be patient, I know it's hard… _

London stopped, more out of a vague sense of someone physically restraining her body from moving, someone holding her arms down gently.

          "You're holding out on me," London whispered, "Tell me, what is really going on?" At their hesitation, she continued, "I can't fight what I don't know. Please?"

          _Your lungs have collapsed. When you were scared last night, you unwittingly changed your body's DNA. Your bones took the worst of it, and many shattered. You have been in surgery for the last while, Hank has been working with the doctors here at the hospital to try and reconstruct your ribcage._

He paused, allowing time for that to sink in. Through whatever shields they put in her mind, London could recall the night before (or how long ago was it?), remembered the pain that split her chest in two, that spread like fire with every breath she tried to take.

          "So what can I do? Just sit here? The doctor's can't say much, for something like that to happen, the damage must be…"

          _They cannot do much else. They have succeeded in repairing most of the damage, but you are still in critical condition. You are suspended on life support and a ventilator. What we have been trying to do is to get you to accept Logan's DNA, his powers, in the hopes that it can repair the damage. Your body hasn't seemed to take it very well. If we let you regain more of a conscious state, do you think you can trigger the change yourself?_

          London thought about the consequences. She's been around Logan before but unlike some people, who's DNA London was more drawn to, Logan was just a blank. But that was from a distance, and true enough, she had never really _tried_ to imprint him before.

          "I could try, but I don't know if I can."

          London took the pause as an acknowledgement, but before she could say or do anything else, her surroundings became clearer. Not enough to see or talk, but she felt much more _in_ her body than before, her senses muted against the reality of whatever room she was in.

          _Logan is going to take your hand now, _Jean voiced in her mind. She felt a subdued touch of something on her hand, and could only assume it was him. She tried to focus her mind a little, finding it hard with two telepaths in the background. She strained to pick up something, any imprint at all, but could not get a clear enough picture through his powers.

"It's no use," she thought to them, "his own powers are blocking my imprint ability. I can't read anything." 

_We thought of this happening, _The professor thought to her. _His mind is difficult to read telepathically, this could interfere your own imprinting abilities. There is another option, one that may be easier for you, but we are hesitant to suggest it._

London waited. Anything to get her out of this mess would be fine by her. 

_Do you think it possible to imprint Rogue's powers?_

She balked at that, more out of a shock of not considering it than it's impossibility. It would make sense; she could just suck Logan's powers out of him. She paused, remembering her own talks with Rogue. She knew of the possibility of having his psyche in her, maybe forever. But what if she died from this? That wouldn't be much of a life either. She searched what parts of her mind she could still access through the fog. Rogue's ability strand was there; it was missing gaps, but she could do it relatively easy.

"Yes. Is she around?"

Another hand touched her arm after a minute, this one lighter than Logan's. She read and re-read Rogue's DNA strand, or the bits she knew. It was a longer strand, one grafted with other powers she had grabbed from others; namely, her flight, strength and invulnerability. From the information she had, she found one part that was specifically useful, and slowly adhered it to her own DNA.

"I have parts of hers already, and I can use the part that allows her to touch herself and not be affected. If she can touch me – skin, not gloves – I can shift to read the rest of her DNA."

_If it doesn't work, it could kill you._ Jean's worry flooded through her before Jean could stop it, and London laughed.

"Look at me. I'm already dead."

The touch on her arm was hesitant, but London didn't feel any draining sensation like the others had described to her. It felt normal – no, a little different that normal; like instead of a regular touch, more like a connection. She didn't know if it was her state of mind, or her powers now able to imprint something, or whether it was actually a connection of their minds in some way… but London shrugged it off. Rogue's powers were surprisingly easy to imprint, due to the familiarity of the two and the half-strand that London already had of her. _Maybe whenever I get out of this, we can see if we can simultaneously drain each other, or transfer info between us. Hmm…_

_London, focus now… _ She heard the professor's slightly admonishing tone, and pushed those thoughts aside. She had enough to use her powers, if she could shift them easily enough, then it would be smooth sailing.

Rogue's familiarity vanished, and she guessed that she had removed her hand from London's arm. She tried to focus again, realizing only vaguely that this was all very, very tiring. Almost slipping away from the two telepaths that monitored her mind, she began to feel exactly what her own body was going through – the lingering pain that spread through all her limbs, the agony that seemed to centre in her chest, the sudden pain and shock that seemed to throb constantly (_good god, that's my heartbeat?!_) – 

And was abruptly pulled away from that, back to the first plane of existence she awoke to. No feeling, no sight – her senses were fully blocked again, back to the warm nothingness.

London felt a weird sense of calling… two, actually, that called her in both directions. 

_-If anything worked, Professor X, now might be a good time to try it.- _And then London saw no more for a while.

The Professor wheeled himself out of the small operating room in Bayville General Hospital, followed by Jean and Hank. There wasn't much else to be done; now all they could do was wait.

Jean was tired from using her powers for so long, as was he. London could not have handled her own body without much stress on her mind, which was weak enough as it was. The pain would have killed her, of that he was certain. Even with the shields he and Jean had put up, still it took a lot from the telepaths to hold back that much agony. There was something underlying the problem, as well. All that pain could not have been from her injuries alone, which meant that there was something else she wasn't telling them.

When it was certain that Hank and Jean could not repair her ribcage alone, they had brought her straight to the hospital, the professor altering the doctor's memories of seeing a large blue furry doctor accompany London. The students came in the morning, desperate to know what had happened for all the adults, minus Ororo, to up and leave in the morning. Kurt, Evan and Bobby knew for sure, but even they had been strangely subdued in the morning, not talking to anyone but the first to ask what had happened with London.

He sighed. London had been unconscious for the better part of two days, the doctors doing everything they could to save her life. Even in the mini-realm the Professor had put her in, she didn't know the severity of the situation right away. She couldn't be allowed to. How do you tell a student that they are trapped in their mind while their body slowly dies? 

He looked around at the select students – Scott, Rogue, Kitty, Kurt, Bobby and Remy - who were allowed to come to the hospital, sitting on the seats and the floor in the small waiting room, waiting for any news whatsoever. They looked up at him, afraid to say anything, afraid to receive bad news. Rogue looked very pale – even more so than her make up could make her look, for she was the first one to hear about what had happened, the first to yell at Kurt and the pranksters, and the first to get to the hospital. She hadn't even stopped to put on makeup. 

          "Did it work?" She asked quietly, trying to keep a calm face. The professor sighed heavily – he had not wanted to resort to Rogue seeing London in her state, right out of surgery and clinging to life from a machine. Rogue had stayed extremely calm during everything, for that he was proud of her.  He nodded; as London began falling through the Professor and Jean's shields, returning the senses to all her body, she almost slipped away from them. Logan had quickly tried touching her, and everyone was immensely relieved when London's copy of Rogue's powers kicked in immediately. Logan had held on for quite a while, not being drained as quickly as Rogue usually could sap someone. The transfer had slowed, and eventually stopped, Rogue's powers either shutting itself off, or London shutting it off herself. But London's vitals had quickly returned to normal, and she had drifted back into a deep sleep.

            "She appears to be fine. We don't know when she will wake up, but your powers did work, until she turned them off herself. She's resting now." Rogue's face, along with the other students, visibly relaxed.

          "Can we see her?" Kitty asked, wringing her hands. Xavier looked to Hank, who was rubbing his eyes.

          "I don't see why not. Only one person at a time though, and you have to let her rest."

The students filed out slowly, heading for her room, except for Scott who had a sleeping Jean on his shoulder. "Is she really okay? I mean, something just seems… odd about all this."

"I don't know. I agree that it is a most unusual mutation, but even I don't think a mutation should be so hard to control for a person. Or have shown up at such a young age."

"Well, when did she get it?"

"She remembers having it as far back as 5 years old, although from what I gather, it's as if her memories are incomplete, fragmented." He laced his fingers together under his chin, thinking. "Her mind is very disorganized, as if it was just thrown together randomly, with no order. It could be why she fights for complete control. I am not sure. I do know that it is much more complicated than I had previously thought."

At that moment, a breathless Kitty phased into the room, ignoring the door. They looked at her as she tried to catch her breath. 

"London…" She breathed out, "She's already awake!" Hurrying to her room at the end of the long hall, they pushed through the students gathered at the door. Indeed, pacing beside the bed was London, her arms crossed and looking generally unhappy.

"How is it that you are awake already?" He asked, looking from her to Logan who was sitting in a chair beside the bed, looking at her.

"Dunno…" she mumbled, looking away. She looked fine, not as if she had just been on life support. The only sign that anything could have been wring were the bruises on her wrist and neck where bones had cracked and the beginnings of dark circles under her eyes where fatigue was showing. "Can I just get out of here?"

" 'She just woke up and she was fine,' is all she keeps telling me," Logan grumbled. Scott, getting the clue, took the students out of the room, shutting the door behind them. 

"Did you take the breathing tubes and the IV's out yourself?" Hank asked, taking her arm and gently coaxing her to sit back down on the bed. She shrugged.

"I was choking on them," she said defensively. "Look, can I just leave? I don't like hospitals, and I don't like being a patient." She said crossly.

"London, I don't think you really grasp the severity of what just happened. Whether because of a loss or control or not, you could have died last night. If this is something that will happen frequently, we need to know. We want to help you," the Professor tried to reason, but she just shrugged it off

"Look, it was my fault, okay? I wasn't paying enough attention to what was going on in _my_ body. It won't happen again-"

"But has this happened before?" Hank asked, struck. She frowned, staring at her hands. The Professor reached out to her mind, sensing the fear and the new mistrust she felt for them. _She is afraid we will turn her out if it happens again, _Xavier said telepathically to Hank and Logan. She was searching her memories, thinking of one time long ago, and Xavier watched the movie in her mind play out, the fragments of different times play out brokenly.

"No," She said hesitantly, and he took that new bit of mistrust and hid it from her.  "There was this one time, when I was 5…" His psyche in her mind saw a house in the woods, he couldn't see where, but a third sense – a sort of background information from her own mind - knew that it was Europe. It was a small child, a girl, playing in her room, drawing pictures. The frames skipped ahead, and her mother was there, cradling her as she tried to escape a burning house. Part of the burning ceiling hit her mother, and London was dropped. As she fell, crying, her skin glowed, dark lines crawling along her arms and legs, down her back and around her sides. That memory quickly ended, as well, and she was waking up in a white hospital room. A pale man with dark hair, a doctor, then took her hand and let her through the building, past laboratories and desks. She thought this man was her father, but another part of her knew that he was back at the house, trying to get to mommy. A memory of her father, a tall grey haired man, intertwined with this memory, as if one half of the area was still a lab, the other a sunny park where he pushed her on the swings.  She passed by a lab bench, wondering vaguely why she could see herself lying on the table, pale and asleep.

Charles was immediately thrown out of her mind. The images had come so quickly after that, so scrambled, that had he not gotten out then, he could have gotten lost. "…That's when I got my powers. I remember hospitals, and labs after that, and I am just not comfortable here, alright?" Xavier let go of a breath he didn't know he had held. There were more memories, one darker than those hidden underneath, of the doctor and his tests, but even though the memories were there, she didn't register them. He knew he had seen her father before, though; he even knew that she had seen him more recently, but did she know it?

"We'll go back to the Institute, then," He said to the others, seeing her look of relief and their looks of confusion. "But Dr. McCoy will be wanting to look you over as soon as we get there."

Her smile deflated a little, but she brushed it aside.

"Fine, anything to get out of here." As Logan handed a blanket, seeing as she had no decent clothes, Professor Xavier motioned Hank over. 

"I've discovered something in her memories that disturbs me very much. I don't believe she is who she thinks she is."

I know. I haven't updated in … what? Almost half a year? Meh. I was ready to give up on writing this story. And I actually was going to post something, and I realized that somehow I had completely screwed up on posting the chapters for this story. I missed a chapter, one that was important to understand the next chapters. So… sorry? Anyways, it's all fixed now, I hope, and here's another chapter. Don't kill me…


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